Powers that Be
by Ruffyan
Summary: Sequel to Dynasty. 6/14-YAY! We're back up! Adam's world is falling apart. Heck, everyone's world is falling apart. FALLOUT and FINAL JUDGEMENT are up. COMPLETE! YAY!!!! Please review-anytime.
1. Our Past Episodes and

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the Mutant X characters-just like to play with them for a little while and return them to you. My thanks go to the producers, writers, cast and everyone having to do with the production of this excellent show.  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story is partly a sequel of Dynasty (reading Chapters 7,8 would probably give you enough of a background to jump into this story) and partly a continuation of the Gabriel Ashlocke saga from the TV series-- as Ruffyan sees it. I didn't expect to write any more MX stories, but Ashlocke's dilemma sort of grabbed me, so I write on..next stop, the Twilight Zone, perhaps?  
  
SUMMARY: Strange things are happening at Sanctuary. Is there a connection between the strange activities at Mutant X and the plight of Genomex Chief of Security Mason Eckhart. I wonder that myself.  
  
This chapter may be a little premature. As I've considered a number of ways to write this story, I really had to flip a couple coins to choose which version I'd write-so here's ample warning, I MIGHT change my mind and rewrite this chapter depending on which ending seems most appropriate. Hope you like.  
  
*************************************  
  
Chapter 1 - .Our past episodes and.. Valerie lay unconscious on the table. Despite Adam's efforts to revive her, she began to convulse uncontrollably as her life signs shut down. Emma suddenly stared into space as her mind locked for a moment with that of Gabriel Ashlocke--"Ashlocke is dying!" she gasped in surprise to her friends.  
  
Later..The team had followed Gabriel Ashlocke back in time and restored what Ashlocke had tried to change. They had returned successfully. That night, Emma bolted upright in bed in apprehension. She could hear Ashlocke laughing and laughing. Was he in Sanctuary, she thought. Why could she hear him? She got up to investigate and found Adam working late in the Lab. "Adam," she said, "Something very bad happened to you."  
  
"I know, Emma. Jesse told me about it." Adam wore a pensive, humbled expression.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Adam stroked Shalimar's hair. "The way he got to you is through your soul," he said gently. Shalimar turned her large frightened brown eyes to Adam. "I don't want him to get to anyone else's soul" she said brokenly.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "DO IT NOW," Ashlocke roared at Adam, holding him at arm's length in the air by the neck like a child holding a rag doll. Adam glared at him angrily. Ashlocke tightened his grasp on Adam's neck, his eyes smiling as his nails broke skin. Adam finally complied angrily, thrusting the needle into the Psychotic's neck. Ashlocke released his grasp and fell back as he felt the serum take effect.  
  
Adam, Jesse and Brennan backed away as Ashlocke's body began to break up. Rage now filled Ashlocke's eyes as he realized he had been betrayed and that his body was still self-destructing. Even in the midst of his fear and rage over his predicament, there was a hint of mockery in Ashlocke's eyes. "WE'RE NOT FINISHED", he screamed at the fleeing trio, moments before his body exploded from the buildup of awesome power, destroying Sanctuary's lab and surrounding area. ******************************* It had been a month since Gabriel Ashlocke's demise. Adam's main focus was to rebuild Sanctuary. It was painful to walk through what was once the laboratory and see the scarred, bare walls. The structural integrity had been compromised more than he cared to admit in the explosion and they had lost part of the computer system. Ashlocke must have knocked out one of the main nodes. Adam shook his head wishing that there could have been more time to work on Ashlocke. He was sure that he could have found a cure for Ashlocke's accelerated metabolism but everything had happened so quickly.  
  
Was the same end in store for Emma, Shalimar, Jesse and Brennan? For Michelle Eckhart? Adam didn't want to think about it, but he continued to explore that avenue. His only consolation was that his people didn't have the multiple mutancies that Ashlocke had. Perhaps this would slow the process, perhaps prevent it from happening. But he worried about Michelle. Unbeknownst to him and Mason Eckhart at the time, she had, like Gabriel, been subjected to multiple genetic enhancements through a team of scientists that didn't report to him and were unaware of the biological relationship of their subject to the Head of Security. He glowered at the computer thoughtfully, and absently rubbed the chronically sore spot on his neck under his ear.  
  
Later that evening, Emma ran her hand gently along the side of Adam's neck.  
  
"OK, look up." She said. Adam obeyed and found himself gazing directly into Emma's intense, grey eyes. The slender red-headed woman, startled, dropped the scanning device she was holding as his gaze met hers. She grabbed at the falling device as Adam deftly caught it. Their hands touched. Adam wordlessly handed Emma the scanner. "Um, sorry" Emma murmured. Looking guilty, she resumed the scan of the sore area on Adam's neck.  
  
After she finished, she said, "At first it seemed like an infection because the scratch remained inflamed for so long. The area has apparently healed, Adam, but now there seems to be a 1.4 centimeter mass of scar tissue."  
  
Adam studied the data from the scans. "Hm. It does look like scar tissue, damned uncomfortable scar tissue." He shrugged. "I guess we'll keep an eye on it." Emma nodded in agreement but blushed as she looked away. Adam looked at Emma appreciatively and gave her a lingering hug.  
  
He resumed typing parameters on Sanctuary's computer, instructing it to scan for carcinogenic, necrotic, angiogenic potential or activity in the sample they had just scanned into its database. Emma had unconsciously crouched to the monitor's level and leaned up against Adam, mesmerized observing his deductive reasoning in action. Adam, sensing her closeness half closed his eyes and sighed quietly as an intense feeling of attraction passed through him. Although she was the newest member of Mutant X, Emma, above all of the others had the ability to intellectualize in a manner similar to his own; she understood him better than all of the others. Integrity and strength of character were trademarks that he admired. Adam mentally shook himself clear of the sensation, reminding himself that he was old enough to be her father.  
  
Emma, fascinated and compelled by Adam's train of deductive reasoning, leaned closer to the older man to see the readout better. She had always loved this enigmatic, mysterious man, who had rescued her from her life in the street and gave her a home, a new life, hope and purpose. She couldn't imagine him returning her feelings, where he assumed responsibility for so many New Mutant 'children'. She knew she would always have to share Adam with everyone. Still, she wished that for once, she could have him all to herself, body soul and mind. "Um, Emma" Adam began softly, turning around to look at her and was startled to see her clear gray eyes only inches away and looking directly into his. Adam forgot what he was about to say, taken off guard and captivated by the intensity of Emma's gaze. Emma found herself looking deep into Adam's dark mesmerizing eyes, suddenly fully aware of how he felt about her and how he was struggling over it.  
  
They remained for another eternal moment, locked deeply in each others eyes. Emma looked away first. Adam stared astonished into space for a moment then looked down at the console.  
  
"I didn't know." Adam and Emma began to say at the same time. They looked at each other in surprise. Adam gently took Emma's hand. "I appreciate you sharing your feelings with me," he said quietly.  
  
"I'm sorry, Adam. I didn't mean to pry." Emma said. Later on, as she reviewed the moment over and over in her mind, Emma would realize that she didn't send Adam any telempathic messages about her feelings for him. How did he know? Was she that obvious?  
  
They had, still holding hands, decided to treat this as case of mutual infatuation, a product of the incredible stress that they had all endured together. They agreed that if they moved too fast on their feelings, it could forever change the history of Mutant X. Better to allow the feelings to flow harmlessly without passion. Adam kissed her forehead gently, as he always did.  
  
"An answer to prayer," he said. Emma hugged him, not wanting to ever let him go.  
  
******************************************* A couple weeks later, Adam finished giving Jesse his physical. He wrapped up the scans and readings with a prognosis of 'healthy'.  
  
"You're good to go," he said with a smile, sweeping his arm in a playful dismissive gesture.  
  
Jesse jumped as if he had been pinched from behind and eyed Adam suspiciously.  
  
"Do that again, Adam." The younger man challenged.  
  
Adam rubbed his neck. "Do what again, Jesse?" he asked patiently.  
  
The blond molecular hesitated. "This is going to sound crazy, but I felt a field of some sort sweep past me, behind me. I don't know where or how it happened, but there was something there. You are the only one here with me."  
  
Adam frowned. Sanctuary just hadn't been the same since Ashlocke had invaded it a few weeks ago. "Perhaps there is a security breach here." Concerned, he began punching in some parameters into Sanctuary's mainframe. "Isolate all power signatures in this location, biological, elemental, molecular." He said. "Display."  
  
The computer indicated on a small hologram that a minor molecular- compression wave had occurred here, in this room. Adam looked at Jesse with a concerned, puzzled expression.  
  
"A Molecular-compression wave-Jesse, have you started to evolve new abilities?" he asked.  
  
"Adam, I swear I didn't do anything." Jesse protested. "I felt something pass by me, right here. It seemed to be moving in this direction. I wonder if there is another Intangible or Invisible here in this room?"  
  
"Danielle? Michelle Eckhart?" Adam wondered aloud. He raised his eyebrows thoughtfully. "It's not likely that Danielle is paying us a visit. Michelle however, certainly has camouflage abilities so highly developed that even Gabriel Ashlocke was never aware of her. In addition to shape-shifting, she is Feral, has latent Psionic abilities and Molecular regenerative powers and has the Elemental ability to throw force fields. She may have other abilities that she hasn't disclosed fully." Adam frowned thinking about the daughter of Mason Eckhart.  
  
"So either one of them could have been or can be here now, invisible?" Jesse asked.  
  
"That is a possibility. There may be other explanations for that wave that passed by you." Adam frowned thoughtfully again. Speaking into his Comm- link, he informed Brennan, Shalimar, and Emma of the disturbance. "Report anything that seems unusual," he said. "Out."  
  
*********************************************** Adam reflected on the events involving the acquisition of Eckhart. Mutant X had located Mason Eckhart where he was being held captive in a stasis pod, transported the container back to Sanctuary and revived him there. It turned out that Mason's daughter Michelle was a New Mutant and had been instrumental in keeping him alive during the takeover of the Strand. Adam didn't remember working on her, but was sure that another team had administered treatment to her as a child. When she disclosed the fact of her multiple mutancies to him, Adam was amazed at the level-headedness of the woman, so unlike Gabriel Ashlocke, despite her multiple god-like powers. Michelle had been reluctant to take all the credit, however, claiming that Eckhart may have been maintained by and possibly have been in communication with the master computer. It was a wild claim and had the remotest of possibilities. Adam believed that Eckhart's biological daughter, a former GSA agent simply didn't want to disclose all of her secrets to a former enemy, or to her father. She didn't realize that Adam had obtained a sample of her blood and had subsequently accessed the confidential files that the secret Genomex team had maintained about her experiment.  
  
The U.S. government had taken over Genomex since the debacle had become public. Citizens were uneasy at the thought of mutated humans with abnormal powers among them. The government took over the embarrassing situation and manipulated the press to effectively suppress the bulk of the information and appease the public.  
  
Mason Eckhart lay in a sterile room of a military hospital, in a coma. His daughter, Michelle was a frequent inhabitant whenever Adam visited.  
  
After being rescued from a four-month captivity without proper care and nutrition, in one of his own stasis pods at Genomex, the white-haired nemesis of Mutant X drifted in and out of a coma state. Without Michelle's constant presence, his body reverted back to his former destroyed immune system state which necessitated returning him into the protective exo-skin designed to shelter him from the environment. Adam engineered a small head- set that would monitor his brain function and deliver a small shock whenever his brain threatened to flat-line. This would have at least kept Eckhart conscious, but in his last visit, Adam learned that during one of his brief returns to consciousness, Mason had removed the device. He didn't want anything. He just wanted to sleep, the attending physician told him. Adam frowned. He couldn't believe that Mason Eckhart would just give up. Adam decided that he was going to continue to provide whatever was necessary to get Mason back on his feet. He negotiated an anonymous fund to manage Eckhart's upkeep and medical expenses -it was the least he could do for an old friend whose life had been ruined by one of his experiments.  
  
He was, after all, part of the chase. 


	2. Visitation

**Chapter 2   ****Visitation**

SUMMARY:  Two different types of visitations to and from ghosts of Mutant X- Past.  Sorry.  I had to tweak the ending of this Chapter in order for Chapter 3 to come clean.  Please review.  I need to know if my writing has improved since "In His Image".

Adam and Brennan walked into Eckhart's room.  Before she left, the doctor quietly warned Adam that Eckhart was not likely to revive and if he did, it would not be pretty.  In the past couple weeks the man had remained mostly in a coma state.  In the few moments that he would inexplicably return to consciousness, his cognitive functions had gone downhill to where he seemed mostly confused and unable to communicate.  Adam grimaced.  He never expected Mason to deteriorate like this.  He thought his white-haired adversary, like himself, would have preferred to go out fighting.

Adam had expected Michelle to be here.  Mason was much less hostile to her.  After the doctor left the room, Adam closed the door and pulled up a chair close to Eckhart's hospital bed.  He nodded grimly at Brennan.  The tall dark-haired man held out his hand and a small Kesla arc danced on his fingers.  Brennan stood over Eckhart's unconscious body and looked again at Adam.

"Now."  Adam said, watching Eckhart's face intently.

Brennan placed his hand on Eckhart's forehead.  Eckhart's body trembled from the electric charge.  Suddenly his eyes opened with a vacant gaze.  He sat bolt upright in his bed and stared wildly.  The chair Adam was sitting on suddenly became fluid and warm and Adam jumped up in alarm.  Michelle Eckhart suddenly materialized behind him.  The lithe blond woman looked at him somberly.

"You WOULD have to choose the worn out chair over the new one," she berated him mildly.  Adam shook his head.  

Turning her attention to her father, Michelle placed her hand on his and gently kissed him.   He was still trembling as if cold.  She was unable to pick up any emotion from him save a feeling of confusion and lostness.  

"Father?"  she said softly.  Eckhart blinked and looked at her.  His lips moved slightly as he tried to speak.  "Can you tell me where you are now?" She asked the thin pale man, pulling a blanket around his shoulders.  A low groan escaped Eckhart's lips and he tried to push Michelle away.  The blond woman looked pleadingly at Adam.  Adam approached Mason Eckhart.

"Mason.  It's me, Adam.  We're here to help you," he said.

Eckhart stared at him blankly then looked at Michelle, then at Brennan.  He pointed a skeletal finger at Brennan. 

"Like," he said with a grin, "Sparky."  Eckhart stared again at Adam and Michelle but registered no sign of recognition.

"I'm afraid we're losing him,"  Michelle said with a pained  expression.  

Adam replied determinedly, "There's always hope.  We have to try.  Now if we can keep him from slipping back…" he located the headset on the night stand and started to place it on Eckhart's head.

A look of sheer hatred shone in Eckhart's eyes as he fought the headset.  A loud guttural cry came out of his mouth.  "NOOOO,"  Eckhart moaned.

"It's for your own good," Adam told him.  

Michelle suddenly raised her head in alarm and abruptly blended in with the room furnishings.  There was a blanket on the floor that hadn't been there before.  The door opened and Dr. Kyle walked back in.  She assessed the scene in a glance.  Adam dodged Eckhart's fist that was sightlessly aimed at his face.

 "Well Dr. Kane, it seems we're making progress here."  The woman commented.  "He needs to rest.  I'm sure waking up has been a traumatic experience for him."

Eckhart howled miserably.  Dr. Kyle picked up the blanket from the floor, refolded it and placed it at the foot of Eckhart's bed.  She looked inquiringly at Adam.  "Why do you bother, Adam?  He is a high risk liability, criminal, no friends, one family member.  Certainly, you could channel your resources into more deserving causes."

Adam shot her a level, determined gaze.  "He is still part of the chase," he replied cryptically.

Dr. Kyle raised an eyebrow.  Adam Kane was certainly eccentric.  "Pack or prey?" she asked.  Adam allowed himself a hint of a smile but didn't answer her.  He and Brennan filed out of the room as Eckhart continued to sob and howl as strong arms gently restrained him from removing the head set.  

"Can she give him something to calm down?" Brennan asked soberly.

Adam shook his head.  "He's too unstable as it is, one moment comatose, another moment, that..…"  he indicated the closed door behind them with a pained expression.  They continued back to Sanctuary in silence, each lost in his own thoughts.

***********************************

Shalimar tossed in her bed.  She was unable to sleep, she could feel the feral urges within her to hunt, to kill.  She leaped out of bed and headed for the Dojo as Adam had trained her to do.  When she got there, she could see that it was already in use.  Adam was wearing a sleeveless tank top, fighting 3 holographic GSA agents, whirling and kicking with amazing speed.  Shalimar's eyes glowed and she licked her lips as she watched.  She absently wondered if Adam had borrowed Brennan's clothes, then dismissed the thought.  Brennan was a big man.  Naw.

A bleary-eyed Emma groggily shuffled in to the area and plopped herself down a distance away from her friend.  She hadn't been able to sleep again, and thought that a peaceful session in the Dojo would help.  

A fourth agent materialized and pinned Adam down while the others began to converge on him.  Unable to contain herself any longer, Shalimar leaped into the fray.  For a moment she thought that Adam had bared his teeth at her, but she dismissed the thought, knowing that she was heavily under Feral influence and was interpreting everything in that context.  The two worked as a team, disarming whatever agents the computer could generate- Adam leap-frogged over  Shalimar to disable the agent behind her and to gain a vantage point against the other two; Shalimar rolled over Adam's back to tear into the remaining two.  Their bodies glistened with sweat.  With the final agent dispatched, Shalimar high-fived Adam.  Adam was panting heavily, but looked delighted with himself.  Shalimar eyed him curiously.

"I didn't know you actually did this type of training exercise.  I thought you just developed this program for me."

Adam grinned.  "Now you know how I test it."

"But your moves were so…." Shalimar stopped and followed Adam's tense gaze to the other side of the Dojo.

Gabriel Ashlocke was leaning casually against the wall, leering at Shalimar's Amazonian form.  "Miss me?"  He asked.

He turned his head and shook a finger admonishingly at Adam.  "Adam," Ashlocke said conversationally, "Didn't I tell you that we weren't finished yet?"  He broke into a huge grin as Shalimar tried to strike him down only to find that her fist had passed through him.

"You and me need to talk, honey."  He told the beautiful blonde woman.  She snarled at him.  "I know, I bring out the beast in you, my dear," Ashlocke prattled on amicably.

Adam spotted Emma staring at them in apparent fear and disbelief.  He sprang down the stairs to her while Ashlocke told him, "Old man, it's great to be back…."

Adam ignored him.  Reaching Emma's side, he could see that she was terrified.  He put his arm around her to comfort her.  "Emma, do you see him?"

Gabriel Ashlocke frowned as he started to fade away.  "Pay attention to me!" he thundered as he wafted into nothingness.  Emma's eyelids fluttered at the sound of Adam's voice.  She stared at him blankly for a moment.

"I saw him in the Dojo, Gabriel was alive and I couldn't do anything to stop him," Emma said plaintively.

"We all saw him, Emma."  Adam said and held her protectively.  

Adam, Shalimar and Emma huddled together in front of the Dojo.  Did they all share the same hallucination?  Gabriel Ashlocke was dead, yet there he was a few minutes ago plain as day and quite alive.  The three discussed what each one had seen and heard, trying to put the pieces together.  The powerful mutant was obviously intangible, so he was either in their minds or computer generated.  Emma's version deviated from what Shalimar and Adam had experienced so that indicated a telepathic link.  Emma said that Ashlocke addressed her only in that confrontation, urging her to join him, threatening her with the total destruction of Mutant X if she didn't.

"It makes no sense."  Emma said.  Shal and Adam agreed.  Adam notified Brennan and Jesse via com-link.  Who knew when or where circumstances would conjure up this dangerous ghost of the past and what kind of control Gabriel Ashlocke may still wield over each of them?


	3. My Father's World

**DISCLAIMER:  **Same as before.  I own none of the Mutant X characters except Natalia, Aarariah and Marlina since they and their world belonged to me long before Mutant X.

**Chapter 3  My Father's World **

Michelle Eckhart continued chronicling her activities to the computer.  

"During the time Father was held captive in the stasis pod, I was able to empathically connect to his mind, or as Adam calls it, the limbic system to assure myself that he was undamaged.  I found myself in an unusual mindscape, while indistinguishable from our own world, was unusual in that key inhabitants including him were gifted far beyond anything we know of in our own world except for perhaps Gabriel Ashlocke and myself.  Father was somehow aware of me in his world and I became "Jennifer Eckhart" in his world.  Perhaps these power figures- Natalia, Aarariah, Jennifer, and the mutated version of Mason Eckhart were Father's attempt to compensate in his mind for the things he could not accomplish in real life.  

"In my spare time, I felt compelled to hack into Sanctuary's tightly guarded computer system during Father's four month captivity and was surprised at how closely connected Sanctuary was with Genomex.  I shouldn't have been surprised, since Adam was intimately involved in creating databases for both; it would be no surprise if he had covertly interfaced them as well.  I wouldn't be surprised if Adam Kane had created other connections we don't know about.  

"I took the liberty of downloading the instructions for creating the com-link rings into my personal database.  I manufactured such a ring, keyed to my and my father's DNA and interfaced it to Genomex's master computer.  Before I could test it, Ashlocke and his band of slaves returned to the office to gloat over another conquest.  I blended myself with the stasis pod and unobtrusively slipped the ring into Father's pocket.

"I am smiling now at Father's memories-- of how Father removed Natalia's interface ring in an effort to free her from the evil computer interface,  of how he succeeded in joining together the two personalities of the woman he loves- Natalia and Aarariah-  and of how he beat the tar out of Adam.  Such intense feelings.  He is a man with heart, he just keeps it hidden.  I think Adam recognizes that, that is why he keeps chasing after him, to bring him back.  

"After being awakened at Sanctuary, Father found the ring that I had slipped into his pocket.  Unfortunately when his frequent blackouts landed him in the hospital for observation, his belongings were put into safe-keeping and Adam created a brain-monitor to try to keep him conscious.  Adam's device, while well-intentioned, is a hindrance to Father.  I believe that he needs to stay in that unconscious state, much like humans need sleep.  He will eventually wake up for good.  I located the ring that I had created for Father during his stay in the stasis pod.  I can test it in relative safety now." 

Michelle allowed the computer to deactivate in silence, her big hazel eyes gazed without expression at the stripped down corpse of Genomex.  She continued to methodically search what remained of Mason Eckhart's office for some clue, for anything at all.  The thin, athletic woman was wearing a black leather jacket and matching biker outfit.  She put her shades back on as she sat in Eckhart's chair, placed her hands on the armrests, leaned back and looked around.  Her pale blond hair hung in shagged ringlets around her shoulders.  

She could almost hear him say, "I'm busy" in a detached far-away voice

Michelle slipped on the com-link ring and turned it on.    She sighed deeply and closed her eyes. 

******************************

A few days later after the last visit to the hospital, Adam received an urgent phone call from Dr. Kyle.  Eckhart had managed to tear off the head-set again, bruising his head in the process.  He was lying in a coma once again.  Adam frowned.  The fellow certainly has a one-track mind.  If he could only have a reasonable conversation with him…perhaps Emma could get some sense into him. 

As they entered the hospital room, Michelle was leaning over Eckhart's motionless form, holding his hand.  

"I have done everything you have asked me to do Father," Adam somehow heard her say softly before she noticed their presence.  The thin blond woman closed her other hand over the one she was holding and gave them a guarded stare.  Mason Eckhart lay peacefully in the bed, hooked to IV's and wrapped in the sterile plastic skin covering.

"Uh, where's Brennan?"  Michelle asked.

"Off on business.  I'm hoping that Emma can reach your father in a way that won't disrupt his body functions."

Michelle Eckhart gazed unblinkingly at the red-headed telempath.  Emma stared back, trying to get a sense of what seemed to be agitating Mason Eckhart's daughter.  Michelle sighed heavily.

"Very well," she assented.  "I will have to come along as well.  I do not trust you in my father's world."

Emma looked questioningly at Adam.

"What do you mean?"  Adam asked.  "Have you communicated with your father, Michelle?"  Adam asked.

"I only have empathic abilities, Adam.  I'm very limited in what I can do with them.  I can read people, but unlike Emma here, cannot project anything.  I am only a ghost in his mind now."  Michelle answered, looking down at Eckhart.  "Perhaps with Emma linked with me, he may be able to see me.  Well?"


	4. Interface

A/N:   This chapter is a direct reference to 'Dynasty'.  If you're getting lost, you could get some bearings by reading the last 2 chapters of Dynasty.  There's a lot of stuff in the brew now and future chapters will sort it all out.  MW, thanks for pointing out the correct spelling of Ms. deLauro.   I fixed it and tweaked a couple paragraphs.   : )

Chapter 4 - Interfaced

Mason Eckhart now sat in the holding area of the hospital.  He was scheduled to have a visitor today, it would undoubtedly be that pain, Adam Kane.  He sat quietly with his eyes half-closed, thinking.  That was about all he could do here in this cleverly disguised prison.  Eckhart was still technically on-leave.  He considered his options.  Adam had told him that the government still kept him on the payroll and that Genomex was no more.  He wondered what his next assignment would be.  Stoically accepting the possibility of becoming employed as clerk, he inventoried his employment possibilities.  He still had a medical background, although in his previous life, he had opted for the military application.  

Eckhart opened his eyes and covertly watched the others who sat in the same room.  He hated being in this type of surrounding, so many germs… He frowned at his gloved hands then noticed an attractive woman, thirty's, dressed in the same drab blue prison uniform as his, sitting a few feet away from him on the opposite bench.  She too was feigning indifference, but was closely scrutinizing the occupants of the room as he was.

Somehow compelled, Eckhart asked her conversationally, "What are you in here for?" 

The woman's name tag indicated her name was Marlina.  She turned her head toward him and stared balefully at him.  Eckhart raised an eyebrow, thinking that he had probably overestimated the intelligence of the woman, and looked away.  She continued to stare at him a moment longer then assuming a less frightening expression, answered casually, "Murder, unlawful holding of citizens, unauthorized experimentations.  What are you in for?"

Eckhart's eyes widened. "That's my wrap," he said.  "How'd you …."

"You think you're the only one who ran a Genetics Agency run amok and got caught?"  Marlina asked roughly.  The cat-woman placed herself next to him, much too closely into his personal space.  He tried to move away, but the wall on the other side of him prevented it.

Marlina leaned into his face and smiled confidentially.  "It has been a long time, Mason Eckhart."  Mason was startled and uncomfortable with the stranger's closeness.  He gazed searchingly at the woman.  "Should I know you, M'am?"

The woman studied him deeply.  "So formal," she said.  "I thought you would remember me by now."  She stretched, catlike then suddenly positioned herself onto his lap, staring deeply into his eyes.  Eckhart, fully alarmed glanced around looking for a guard, looking to see if anyone was watching.

"Uh, M'am, this is inappropriate behavior.  You must stop this now."

Marlina's grey eyes sparkled with amusement as she studied Eckhart another full moment.  Then she covered his mouth with hers and kissed him passionately.  Eckhart struggled frantically, but the dark-haired woman persisted.  

"M'am, the contamination, for heavens sake, I have a condition…" Eckhart protested angrily, fighting her off, gasping for air.

Startled, Marlina backed off of him.  "You have access but no memory, Mason Eckhart. What have they done to you?" she asked in a small hurt voice.  "We've seen you roaming through from time to time since the confrontation, but you haven't contacted us until now."

Eckhart frowned, puzzled.  "What on earth are you talking about?"

The dark-haired cat-woman shook head and looked down sadly.  Her eyes widened thoughtfully.  "Why are you fettered, Mason Eckhart?"

Eckhart sighed impatiently.  "I am a prisoner here, like you, Miss…"

"Marlina.  Just Marlina.  Your feet are chained and your skin is encased in plastic." She said puzzled.

"Of course," Eckhart said flatly, angry at himself at having started this inane conversation in the first place."

Loud klaxons sounded around him.  "Intruder alert," Marlina said, taking Eckhart's hand.  "You must come with me," she said, pulling him off the chair and toward the door.

"No.  I'll do nothing of the sort.  Let the prison security do its job."  Eckhart stated flatly.

"This should not be happening here.  I will not let you go.  Why won't you remember?"  Marlina asked frustrated.  She stared past Eckhart apprehensively, Eckhart followed her gaze.  Gabriel Ashlocke casually leaned against the doorway with a smirk on his face, undressing Marlina with his eyes.

"I can't imagine you as a lady's man, Eckhart.  Now let me show you how it's really done."  Ashlocke stepped forward, pushed Eckhart away.  Eckhart tripped on his chains and landed hard on the floor.  Ashlocke grasped Marlina's wrists and stared telepathically into her eyes.  The woman struggled to free herself from his grasp.

"No.  I- am - not - yours."  Marlina closed her eyes and struggled furiously against the grinning Ashlocke.  She turned her head away from her captor and toward Eckhart.  Suddenly Marlina's eyes opened wide, white rings formed around her pupils.  She locked gazes with Eckhart.  Eckhart shook his head to clear it.  He had seen that phenomenon before, why was it so hard to remember where?   Suddenly determined, he staggered back up and tore Ashlocke's hands off Marlina and helped her move away.  Ashlocke laughed heartily.

"You've got to do better than that, old man." Gabriel Ashlocke taunted.

Marlina's gaze met Eckhart's again; her pupils still rings of light.  "REMEMBER." She hissed fiercely.

Something changed in his head.  "Natalia?" he asked in a small voice.  He found that the plastic exo-skin that shielded him from the environment was somehow gone- and that it was all right for it to be so.  

"Natalia smiled.  "How quickly they forget."

"Your name tag says Marlina.  You choose such pretty names, Natalia, Aarariah, and Marlina."

"You're catching on, my love."

Gabriel Ashlocke smiled as he prepared a ball of energy in his fingers.  "Once I'm through with you there will be nothing for Adam to salvage."  He paused thoughtfully.  "Then again, to watch you become another one of his failed experiments could be quite entertaining."  Ashlocke absorbed the energy ball back into his hands.  

"I like the way you think, old man.  You've created a paradise here in your mind.  No wonder you don't want to return to the cold, cold scary world out there.  But I brought a friend of yours along for some fun."   Gabriel Ashlocke turned to the doorway that he had been standing near and Michelle stepped out, obviously in a trance.  She stood docilely before Ashlocke, gazing soulfully into his eyes.

"Jennifer!"  Eckhart and Natalia/Marlina breathed in horror.  Eckhart's dark eyes narrowed with fury.

"She chose to come here with me."  Ashlocke said with his characteristic smirk.  He turned his attention briefly to the blonde woman to gather her in his arms. Ashlocke covertly studied Eckhart's expression as he touched his lips to hers.

"If he breaks through our firewall, we will be totally vulnerable to him," Natalia/Marlina's well-modulated voice spoke calmly but urgently into Eckhart's mind.  

"REMEMBER," she hissed.

Eckhart's eyes glowed red as he accessed his long-forgotten telepathic powers.  He strode across the room and placed a hand on the back of his daughter's neck in a touch-telepathic connection.  He had never linked so closely to his daughter before.  Jennifer/Michelle stiffened.  A flood of thoughts and memories touched his consciousness and Eckhart easily found where Ashlocke had accessed and made residence in his daughter's mind.  The mind-scape had changed.  They stood in his old office at Genomex, where Ashlocke had captured him and put him in stasis.

"Out."  Eckhart demanded.  

"You're beginning to get really annoying, old man,"  Ashlocke replied, forming a ball of energy in his hands.  A red field began to form at Eckhart's eyes.  

From where she stood in the waiting room, Natalia/Marlina could see both men standing motionless, glaring at each other.   Mason's hand rested on the back of Jennifer's neck.  The battle was taking place inside her mind and Natalia hoped that their child would not be harmed.  

"OUT!"  Eckhart shouted angrily at Ashlocke.  "BE GONE."  He projected a red force field directly at Ashlocke, pushing him back toward the window.  

"I don't think so," Gabriel Ashlocke replied with a touch of annoyance and rebellion in his voice.  Jennifer/Michelle still stood motionless, lost between the two forces that battled over her. 

Eckhart stared at the window behind Ashlocke and gave a tiny toss of his head.  The glass pane shattered.  Eckhart's eyes were deadly pools of hatred and revulsion.  Ashlocke hurled the energy blast into Eckhart.  Eckhart simultaneously projected another Psionic field at his enemy and Ashlocke went over backwards through the shattered window.  Eckhart took the hit squarely in the chest.  Pain engulfed his body.  He fell into an abyss of darkness.  

In the hospital, Michelle collapsed onto Eckhart while Emma remained in a kind of trance.  Puzzled and alarmed, Adam carefully placed Eckhart's daughter in a chair and checked that her vital signs were normal.  He turned to Emma and shook her gently.

"Emma, can you hear me?"

In the waiting room mindscape, Natalia/Marlina watched the form of Jennifer/Michelle silently vaporize.  Mason Eckhart fell forward, clutching his chest.  Ashlocke fell backwards but caught himself. 

"I said, I'm not finished yet," Gabriel Ashlocke said, suddenly serious.

"Yes you are," Emma said, appearing suddenly from nowhere.  Ashlocke's eyes widened in surprise.  Without pausing, Emma fired a Psionic blast directly at Ashlocke.  He froze in mid-step then suddenly disappeared.

"I'm so sorry," Emma turned an anguished face to Natalia and then to the struggling Mason Eckhart.  "Are you all right?"  She asked Eckhart, helping him to his feet.  She noticed the ring on his hand.

Eckhart shrugged her away.  "I'm fine, Ms. deLauro."  He looked questioningly at Natalia.  She shook her head.  Emma recognized the telepathic link between them but couldn't get a read off either of them.

"Mr. Eckhart, Adam was hoping that you would come back with me," she told the white-haired man.

Eckhart gazed at the telempath searchingly.   She was startled at the change in him.  Gone were the red-hued retro glasses, the plastic skin covering, the harsh cold eyes and the macabre paleness.  A person stood before her, one who seemed almost kind and approachable.  

"Ashlocke must have zapped me harder than I thought," Emma thought to herself.  "This is Mason Eckhart we're talking about.  Kind?  Snakelike should be more like it."  

"It is apparent that I trust you as little as you trust me, Ms. deLauro."  Eckhart said mildly.  "I have no need to return with you to the surface."

"You could still have a productive life, Mr. Eckhart.  You are in a dream world here.  The longer you stay here, the more likely you will die."  Emma told him.

Eckhart tilted his head and raised an eyebrow.  "Your point, Ms. deLauro?"

Emma struggled for words.  "If your body dies, then your dream-world will fade away as well."

"The shell must be maintained for now, Mason."  Natalia agreed with a slightly amused lift of an eyebrow.  The child had no idea.  Mason Eckhart intertwined his fingers in hers and they gazed silently at each other.  Emma noticed again the non-verbal communication and wondered why she couldn't read them.  Natalia's eyes had a white ringed appearance around her pupils while Eckhart's eyes had turned a fiery shade of red.

"We must purge this corruption that Emma released….Aari?....restoring lost memory…interface still intact… strengthen firewall… restore Jennifer...don't give her the ring until she is cleared."  After a brief moment, they kissed and reluctantly let go their hands.

"Very well, Ms. deLauro, this had better be worth it."  Eckhart replied.  He turned his head toward the raven-haired woman as he and Emma vanished.  
When he opened his eyes, Mason Eckhart found Michelle sitting in the chair near his bed.  She had an unreadable, glowering expression on her face.  Emma was holding her head as if she was trying to control a migraine.  She stared at him strangely.  Her beautiful gray eyes momentarily had a gloating expression that Eckhart knew all too well.

                                                *****

A/N: Next stop, Evil Emma.  Like I said before, please stop by and review.  I get the impression that only 4 people are reading this story and maybe finishing this online isn't worth the effort.  I'm always open to suggestions for improvement or on where to move the story line. 


	5. Evil Emma

DISCLAIMER:  I don't own them, just play with them, that is, except my trio: Natalia, Aari, and Marlina.

**Chapter 5  Evil Emma**

Adam approached Eckhart.  "Mason?  How are you feeling?"

Eckhart stared at the sight of the plastic exo-skin and intravenous tubing attached to various parts of his body and sighed.  "Just wonderful, Adam.  It's great to be back."  Eckhart peered up at Adam.  "What do you want, Adam?" he asked.  

Adam half-smiled; Mason was going to be all right.  He shrugged.  "Welcome back," he said simply.

"Sparky not here to electrocute me again?"  Eckhart asked conversationally.

NOTE: Sparky is a codeword that Adam had programmed into Sanctuary's computer to designate security breach.

Adam gave Eckhart a hard, thoughtful look. That was the second time Eckhart used that name.  Was it a coincidence?  He should discuss this privately with Eckhart, and he'd better change the codeword to something less intuitive.  Mason couldn't have possibly accessed his database. 

"No, Brennan had other business to attend to.  I thought that Emma might have the ability to communicate with you…wherever you had gone.

"She did."  Eckhart replied curtly.  He turned his attention to his daughter.

"Michelle."  He stretched a bandaged, entubed hand toward her.  She gazed warily at him much like a wounded animal would.  Her dark eyes searched his, silently asking for forgiveness for failing. He nodded.  Finally, she relaxed and touched the proffered hand.

Emma silently walked over.  She gazed at Michelle appraisingly, then at Eckhart.  

"You have your father's eyes," she said.  Michelle's eyes turned Feral-gold for a moment as she glared at Emma.  Emma smirked then locked gazes with Eckhart's daughter for a moment. 

"But you're just like Shalimar," she said, touching Michelle's face lightly.  The blond woman bared her teeth and snapped her head away from the touch.

"You violated me," Michelle said in a hushed voice filled with rage.  "You're going to pay."  Her hazel eyes turned Feral-gold again as she tensed to attack Emma.

"Stay," Eckhart said mildly, but his voice carried a clearly visible warning.

Adam started with alarm at Michelle's words.  "Michelle, what do you mean?  Emma's not like that!  What happened?"

Emma put on an incredulous look and nodded innocently as Adam spoke.  Then her expression changed to a superior, mocking one.  

"I'm sorry, Adam.  I can't allow you in on this one."  Emma said as she projected a Psionic blast to Adam's head.  Adam froze, as if in a trance.  

"Everything is fine, Adam."  Emma said reassuringly, stroking his arm.  She then smirked condescendingly at Michelle and Mason Eckhart.  Michelle stared at Emma angrily and stood between her and her bed-ridden father while Mason Eckhart silently stared at the telempath impassively.

"Traitor," Michelle hissed.

As Emma slowly approached her, Michelle backed away fearing a repeat Psionic invasion of her body and soul.    Emma studied Michelle another moment before sending a Psionic blast at her head.  "She could be my twin except for those eyes and the blond hair," she thought absurdly.

"Sorry honey," Emma told the entranced Michelle.  "I've got another Feral to catch.  Heartbroken?"  She hooked her hand under Michelle's chin and drew the entranced woman to within two inches from her own face.  Grinning, she let go and declared to Eckhart, "You know, she did put up one hell of a fight in there."

Eckhart grimaced, his eyes stared hatefully at his adversary.  

Emma ran her hand up and down Adam's body possessively.  "It won't be long now," she gloated.  

Mason had closed his eyes.  "Lockdown," he muttered.  Emma grinned and unconsciously combed her right hand through her hair as if to pull it back out of her eyes.  

"Ah yes," she told him.  "Adam's failed experiment.  Don't worry, old man.  You won't know who you are after he's finished with you."  Turning to Adam she said, "Adam, this poor fellow is still suffering from a delusional psychosis.  Perhaps a little intervention from you will cure him?"  She projected another Psionic blast at Adam's head then fired one at Eckhart's head.  He'd never know what hit him.  Unbeknownst to Emma, Mason Eckhart's eyes were glowing strangely under his closed eyelids; and as Emma gloated over Mason Eckhart, Adam stared silently at Emma, his dark eyes unreadable.  
  


A/N: Sorry this is short.  Not sure if anyone is reading any more.


	6. Not a Chapter

A/N: Sorry this is taking so long. I have had such a case of writers block on this story that I've been tempted to can it. It's so frustrating because when I first sketched it out I had and still have all the elements for the plot. As the chapters get written the story sort of takes on a life of its own or I get some great feedback and often end up changing the storyline.  
  
I don't really want to trash this story. It was a lot of fun planning and writing it. My usual remedy for writers block (music) hasn't been working though so I tried writing an alternate-universe rendition of Power that Be- not quite the same plot, different characters. Strangely enough, it's complete. I'm going to touch it up and post it this weekend.  
  
That leaves me with PTB. I'm glad that some of you liked Evil Emma. I had to remove a lot of her (ahem) escapades to keep it PG suitable. I'm planning to bring her back again in a future chapter for one last fling before she is 'restored', but not the next one. I need to kick this story back into gear.  
  
PTB is the third in a trilogy of stories that I posted and the hidden agenda of the trilogy should be revealed in a future (next??) chapter. At least, I hope so.  
  
Hmm. Maybe I can move on now. Thanks for letting me blab away. I think that helped. And PLEASE, keep your reviews coming so I know what you like and don't like. I tend to be a little Mason-centric, so please don't hold that against me.  
  
Thanks again.  
  
Ruffyan 


	7. Analog

Chapter 6 - Analogue  
  
A/N: Yup. Mutant X meets Matrix. Just a little. Sorry this took so long to write. I had such a case of writer's block that I almost trashed this story too. This is a weird little journey while I decide what to do with Mason at the end. Hope it's coherent. Hope it doesn't suck too badly... R.  
SOMEWHERE IN CYBERSPACE.  
  
Natalia waited a moment longer in the now empty waiting room. She appeared to be listening, then she called aloud, "Marlina, Aari." In response, the room vanished around her. Lines interspersed with light and space that seemed to go on forever appeared in its place. A moment later, space rearranged itself and became Eckhart's office. Natalia sat in his chair, dressed in a black pinstriped business suit, sporting dark framed rectangular glasses. She smoothed her honey-blond hair as she faced her two sisters across the desk.  
  
"Mason Eckhart needs to be released, Marlina."  
  
"It will be arranged, sister." Marlina replied with a small toss of her auburn hair. She added dryly, "The glasses do not become you at all."  
  
"Shouldn't your hair be white?" Aari asked.  
  
Natalia glowered at them but the glasses disappeared. "Better?"  
  
Aarariah met her gaze. "What happened in there? You locked us out."  
  
Natalia's eyes turned silver as she transmitted her information to her sisters. "Adam sent Emma into Mason's mind in an effort to restore his cognitive functions. Gabriel Ashlocke is linked to Emma and has gained access to Mason's mind.  
  
"Michelle mind-locked with Emma and was invaded by Ashlocke. There is also a Psionic link between him and Michelle.  
  
"Inside Mason's mindscape, within our matrix, Emma temporarily separated from Ashlocke. However, she thinks that Ashlocke originates from Mason.  
  
"Upon regaining consciousness, Mason tried to alert Adam again but Emma, under Ashlocke's influence, has put suggestions and Psionic links into Adam's and Mason's minds. I am not sure how much Adam is under his influence."  
  
"It's amazing how you find out this information." Marlina commented, her eyes also silvery as she assimilated the information from Natalia.  
  
"It helps to exist in both worlds; especially in their world as a Psionic."  
  
"What do you propose?" Aarariah asked.  
  
"We must break silence to warn Adam." Natalia replied. "The data that he and Emma has been inputting alerted us to the anomaly of Gabriel Ashlocke surviving the demise of his.earthly shell by implanting himself into Adam's body. The trick is to get the information to Adam without Emma finding out. Now we have evidence that Ashlocke's mind is harbored within Emma's mind.  
  
"The coupling of the Psionic abilities of Emma DeLauro and Gabriel Ashlocke has created an incredibly hazardous situation for both the Organics and for Cybers." Marlina stated. "Neither have access to us in and of themselves, but interfaced-  
  
"Telepathically linked- Aarariah corrected.  
  
"with one like Mason who is Interfaced Organic-can give the Emma/Ashlocke consortium access to our world, and that must never happen." Marlina said, massaging the sides of her auburn head. She continued, "We could eliminate Mason. He is their link to us. He is still confined in the hospital, his shell is on life support, therefore accessible to us."  
  
"That is so CID-like, Marlina. He is one of us!" Natalia protested.  
  
"--and as one of us, he would understand the need to protect the realm." Marlina finished.  
  
"But what he did a few sectors ago freed us from CID. He must certainly have some ideas as to how to stop this consortium." Aari commented.  
  
"Destroying his shell, or body if you will, would free him to join us forever." Marlina countered.  
  
"No. That may have worked for me, Marlina, but it is not a proven process." Aari replied. "Natalia is still Interfaced and Organic and dwells in both realms. We have not eliminated her physical shell; it is not our way. There are other realms that may be recipient to our disembodied souls. Calculations prove the existence of at least 18 non- linear dimensions. He may slip away to any of those and we would lose him forever. Witness Ashlocke- upon destruction of his body, he remained in the Organic realm and bonded to Emma. The possibilities are endless."  
  
"Then we should destroy Emma. That would ensure the destruction of the consortium."  
  
"Would it?" Natalia asked. "Ashlocke is extremely virulent and may survive. Emma has the power to subdue him. I saw it."  
  
"Methinks you care too much about them." Marlina said. "They are Organics. They have the ability to move on once freed of their physical shell or firmware. It is what they are doing in their current physical state that is endangering our universe and they must be stopped."  
  
"You are a rogue Cyber," Natalia said tersely. "Your words echo the mind of CID."  
  
Marlina raised both hands. "I did not mean to offend you with facts, sister. I am Pure Cyber. I am not bogged down with Organic emotions."  
  
"Still, there are enough Cyber emotions to go around," Aarariah commented lightly. Looking at Natalia, she said, "You care deeply for him."  
  
"We merged 3 sectors ago," Natalia replied, peering up at her cyber- sister.  
  
"I know," Aari replied with an exaggerated, agonized look. "I was there."  
  
Natalia looked down contemplatively, remembering the completely unsettling experience of being totally immersed in Eckhart's identity. "He merged because of you, I think."  
  
"We three agreed to merge in order to save your daughter and to counter CID, who had me incapacitated. Keeping me locked down in a back file would have eventually worn through your protective barriers and I would have eventually assimilated you for CID. He is a brave, foolhardy man to take such a risk. Did he do it for love, or for power? While I'm not sure that he fully understood the risks of joining the Unity in that manner, I'm sure that he did it for you, Natalia."  
  
Natalia looked at Aari earnestly. "I believe we both agree that he was quite aware that he could have been assimilated by CID." He trusted me to protect him while he deactivated your link."  
  
"He trusted the one he loves," Aari replied quietly. "There is a great deal of objectivity to all that he does, in keeping with his Cyber side."  
  
Marlina added, "You know that this could become quite complicated if it he changes his mind about you, Natalia. Organics are notoriously fickle."  
  
Natalia glared at her Cyber-sister. "He'd do no such thing," she protested.  
  
Suddenly Marlina and Aari were laughing gently. "We were jesting with you, sister.."  
  
Someone cleared his voice behind them. The three women turned and stared at the newcomer. Mason Eckhart watched them, amused from the doorway to his office. "I believe you're sitting in my chair," he said, approaching the desk.  
  
Natalia remained seated, looking up at him inquiringly. "Uh Mason, just how much of this conversation did you hear?"  
  
The white-haired man gave a self-depreciating half-smile and ignored the question. "I just had a most curious encounter with Ms. DeLauro."  
  
".and?" Marlina prompted him,  
  
Hidden in the shadows of the office the shadowy figure whispered thoughtfully to Emma as they watched unseen .  
  
"Eckhart's playthings or are they GS Agents?" He wondered to Emma.  
  
"More like delusions of grandeur to me," Emma whispered back.  
  
Eckhart suddenly looked up, alert. He shot a look at Natalia who obediently vacated his chair. Mason Eckhart sat down and looked around his office. Certain that someone was there but unable to see them, he pompously proclaimed, "You may approach me, my loyal servants. He took Natalia's hand and drew her down to him.  
  
"Pretend to struggle" he silently told her. Natalia complied as he wrestled her down to the floor in front of the impassive Aari and Marlina. The two had closed their eyes as if sleeping. Hidden behind the desk his eyes took on the silvery glow of the tele-cyber link. Eckhart silently told them, 'we are being observed. My apologies, I seem to have brought in uninvited guests. Now we will have to make this look like a fantasy for them."  
  
Aloud, Eckhart and Natalia laughed and wrestled shamelessly on the floor.  
  
What are they doing? Emma asked her companion. He stared at her meaningfully, his grey catlike eyes filled with interest.  
  
Do you want to watch? he asked.  
  
Eckhart's fantasizing that he's making out with a babe," Emma said. I think I'm going to puke.  
  
Suddenly the entire scene switched from Eckhart's office to a carnival. The sterile office surroundings changed to dusty, noise-filled bustling crowds. Eckhart, dressed in denims, smoked a cigarette while he casually leaned against a booth that had a gypsy mannequin in it. Emma stared at him in disbelief. Curious, she and her companion stepped in front of the booth and peered in. Eckhart casually blew a cloud of smoke in their direction. The old gypsy mannequin turned around inside her booth, her plaster cast hands pointing to various cards. Emma stared, fascinated. The sightless eyes glowed as the hag's hand mechanically pointed at the Death card then at the Love card. Emma stared, totally intrigued. The Gypsy mannequin's eyes glowed again in its luridly painted face and it turned with a mechanical thunk. Its hand slowly lifted to point directly at Emma while horrid laughter emitted from its open mouth.  
  
Emma gasped and frightened, looked to her companion for help. He seemed taken aback, a little angry. Emma felt someone staring at her. Eckhart was studying her appraisingly as he continued to stand there and smoke. Suddenly his eyes hardened and he stepped toward them then walked through them as if they did not exist, into the crowd.  
  
Suddenly the scene changed to the sterile white walls of a hospital ward. There was the sound of a heart beating. Chains rattled in the distance and moans of pain from the patients could be heard. Emma's companion seemed intrigued as he looked around this scape. Two half-naked figures were chained to the wall, side by side.  
  
Adam! Emma cried, rushing to him. Adam stared at her but there was no sign of recognition in his dark eyes. Emma's companion continued to look about in obvious interest. He nudged the figure next to Adam, whose head hung down. He had dark wavy hair like Adam.  
  
"He's dying. I have to save him," Adam whispered, staring sightlessly into the wall across from him.  
  
A lovely brunette nurse bustled to Adam's companion. Brandishing a razor sharp scapel, she began to methodically strip the skin off the man. Emma stared in disbelief and nudged her companion that they should leave.  
  
I know he's psychotic, but this is too intense for me.   
  
No, wait. I have to see if I know this man, he replied kissing Emma gently while the nurse continued to flay the man.  
  
This is so cruel, so gross! Emma pushed her companion away.  
  
The grey eyed man stared at Emma and for a moment a look of sheer hatred crossed his face. Emma was too busy staring at the nurse to notice. Composing himself, the man gathered Emma close to him. I'm sorry, my love. I just have this scientific curiosity about things.  
  
The nurse grabbed the man by the hair and jerked his head back, revealing the face. Mason Eckhart stared at her gravely, then cracked a grin. "You do good work, nurse." He quipped.  
  
Emma's eyes bulged in horror and she covered her mouth to suppress the scream. The hospital scene shimmered for a moment then settled back again. Emma and her companion had gone.  
  
"Was it something I said?" Eckhart asked innocently. Aarariah smirked as she phased out of the nurse's outfit and returned the surroundings back to Genomex. Marlina and Natalia were waiting expectantly.  
  
"That was too close," Marlina muttered. Looking to Natalia, "Did you hook them?"  
  
Natalia looked thoughtful and introspective. "I had to link back to my physical body in order to access my telepathic abilities. Yes, I was successful in creating a Psionic link with Emma while she and her consort were occupied here. This is doubly dangerous, Marlina. You said yourself that having one meta-link in Mason was opening our world to Ashlocke's influence and now what will happen with a second link established? They could return anytime."  
  
"It is a link they won't know about hopefully and we best be ready for them," Eckhart replied. "Ms DeLauro has little stomach for some of the perversities of life, and we keep that as a temporary advantage to oust them from my mind. But the longer she remains in Mr. Ashlocke's influence, the more likely her sensibilities and innocence will be broken down and it will become a challenge to find something that will drive them out."  
  
"They must be kept under the illusion that this is part of Mason's mindscape." Natalia declared. "If they ever find that Mason is a link to a Cyber Universe we would have another enemy with the potential of CID to deal with."  
  
"Yes," Marlina agreed. "A powerful telepath influencing a tele-cyber could influence the Unity if he or she knew where they were going."  
  
"Hm. Two Psionics, mated together in a curious telepathic bond. Somehow I do not believe that Ms. DeLauro would willingly form an alliance with Ashlocke," Eckhart stated. "As she demonstrated in the previous sector, her loyalty is with Adam. Somehow, she is being prevented from recognizing Ashlocke's presence in her mind and I suspect that Ashlocke is in control of her body."  
  
"In that case, time will be of the essence for you, Mason. We know that Ashlocke has plans for Adam to do you in. I will have you released from the hospital within two days, as soon as I am satisfied with your physical progress." Marlina stated.  
  
"All my resources are at your disposal, Mr. Eckhart," Natalia told him. "I will see to it that he is ready." The white-haired man grasped her hands in his. Their faces glowed for a moment.  
  
"In the meantime, beware Michelle. She is linked to Emma's consortium, and she is an empath." Aari warned.  
  
"When I am released, I would like to meet you, my love." He whispered to Natalia.  
  
"Not everything is as it appears to be, my love." She replied gently. He inclined his head, gave a ghost of a smile and reluctantly let her go.  
  
"We will reconvene using firmware access," Aari stated. Everyone nodded and suddenly the grid of light and space reappeared as each entity took their leave.  
  
In his hospital room, Eckhart awoke. Aware of Michelle sitting nearby, he slowly closed his eyes and they turned silver as he linked with the cyber- universe. Natalia stood before him.  
  
"I need to test something, my love. Both our worlds may depend on it."  
  
"I am willing." Mason Eckhart replied, drinking in the sight of her. 


	8. Shadows and Illusions

8- Shadows and illusions  
  
A/N: Evil Emma has returned. Hope this doesn't gross you out too much.  
  
"This is so perfect," Emma said spinning around in the snow covered woodland and flying into his arms. The man caught her and embraced her gently. She stood in the woods with him, watching the powdery snow drift about in the air. A ray of sunlight broke through the branches of a hemlock tree. Emma gazed around at the ethereal scene.  
  
"Michael I, I can't believe how beautiful this is. This is so heavenly!"  
  
The man smiled and kissed Emma gently on the forehead. "I want to share everything with you, Emma," he said. His gray eyes seemed sad, somehow. Emma, concerned touched his face and met his eyes. She wanted to comfort him. She formed a mind-link.  
  
Suddenly she was in the city streets that she had grown up in, yet not her, but her companion, looking upon her memories through her own eyes. A child played at the edge of the street placing bits of different colored glass in patterns on the blacktop. The sun picked up the colors and turned their brilliance into a marvelous sight. The child clapped her hands at the pretty colors.  
  
"Beautiful, Emma." The man drew Emma to himself for a hug. Emma clung to him.  
  
"You are my heart, Michael." She said. Emma closed her eyes, totally content in the presence of her soul-mate. As Gabriel Ashlocke held her tightly in her fantasy, his powerful mind gazed upon the real world through Emma's identity and easily interacted with it through her body. "With our Psionic powers locked together, we are invincible," Ashlocke/Emma sneered.  
  
NIGHT OUT FROM SANCTUARY  
  
A few nights later, Shal, Brennan and Jesse decided to head out to the local club to unwind and have fun.  
  
"Hey, let's stop by and see if Michelle wants to come along." Shalimar suggested. She felt a kindred connection to the younger Feral. Jesse nodded enthusiastically. He had also taken a liking to the blond woman.  
  
Michelle answered the door. Behind her, Mr. Eckhart peered at them through his red-lens glasses and shuffled toward her in crutches. Along with his denims, he wore a comfortable blue sweatshirt that had a paint-screened picture of a wolf against the moon. Shalimar, Brennan and Jesse stared at him in slack-jawed astonishment.  
  
Shalimar gave Mr. Eckhart an uncertain look then addressed Michelle. "Hey, we're headed to the club. Want to make it a foursome?" She asked.  
  
Michelle looked questioningly at the group. "Emma?"  
  
"She's been helping Adam with some project that he's been working on in the lab." Shalimar replied. Mason Eckhart raised an eyebrow behind Michelle.  
  
Jesse added, "C'mon, it would be lots of fun." He beamed at her. Michelle smiled back and looked over at her father.  
  
Eckhart dismissed her with a nod of his head then attempted a reassuring smile. "Go. I'll be all right. I don't need a babysitter."  
  
"I'll only be a moment," Michelle said, flying into her room to change.  
  
"Come in," Mr. Eckhart said to Brennan, Shalimar and Jesse. "I won't bite." Inside the small, Spartan living-room, Brennan, Jesse and Shalimar stood around uncomfortably. Mason Eckhart hobbled toward the kitchenette on his crutches.  
  
"Can I interest you in something to drink?" he asked.  
  
"Oh, no, please. You don't have to go through all the trouble, Mr. Eckhart," Brennan stumbled over his words.  
  
Eckhart stopped and slowly turned around to stare at the group of Adam's people, now standing around uncomfortably in his daughter's living room. A ghost of a smile crossed his face. "MR Eckhart," he said softly, amused. "Did I detect a little respect, Mr. Mulray, or pity?" Brennan's face reddened.  
  
Michelle reappeared, wearing a stunning black dress that showed off her agile form and Jesse smiled in approval.  
  
"You'll be all right, Father?" Michelle asked him.  
  
"I need my time alone too," Mason Eckhart told her. She gazed earnestly at the white-haired man and nodded.  
  
Relieved, the group of young adults piled into the car and headed to the club.  
  
Alone, Eckhart placed the crutches aside and strode easily to the computer. His eyes turned silver as he interfaced with it. "Pseuver-admin, genomex" he sent his thoughts into the network like a key. "Natalia, lend me your strength." He whispered.  
IN ADAM'S LAB  
  
Emma watched Adam finish a set of experiments. He looked flushed and irritated as he kept rubbing his neck. Emma watched him, amused. She had planted in Adam's mind the absolute necessity of having to finish the experiment that had failed to save Gabriel Ashlocke.  
  
"Why am I so obsessed with the man?" Adam asked himself.  
  
"Adam, may I go now?" Emma asked. It was about nine o'clock.  
  
Adam looked up. "Oh, of course. I'm sorry. I think the others may have already headed out to the club.  
  
Emma grinned. "Let me check." She focused on Shalimar. "Yup. They're at the club. Wanna come?"  
  
Adam shook his head. "No thanks, Emma. I need to keep working on that experiment. I feel as if I'm close to a breakthrough."  
  
Emma grinned again. "Like a hamster on a treadmill," she thought. "This will keep him where I need him."  
  
AT THE CLUB- Jesse/Shalimar/Michelle/Brennan  
  
Jesse sat at a table with Michelle, watching people dance and mingle. The music was upbeat and invigorating. "If I might ask, what do you do now that you no longer work for the GSA?"  
  
Michelle broke into an amused smile. "I teach Phys Ed and Computer part time at a local elementary school." She replied.  
  
"Like it?" he asked.  
  
"It's not bad. The small humans are refreshing."  
  
Jesse fidgeted. "Do you miss the GSA?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Michelle asked.  
  
Jesse looked away for a moment then looked thoughtfully at Michelle. "I took the liberty of checking your personnel files. You were a model GSA agent under the name, Jennifer Collins, ambitiously working your way up from clerical to field agent in a matter of several months. I don't believe your father was ever aware of your true identity although your performance reports and promotions undoubtedly came across his desk. Did you ever meet him in person before Ashlocke's takeover?"  
  
Michelle studied Jesse's intense blue eyes. Why was he so interested in her personal life and past? "As a matter of fact, I did meet him once as a newly promoted field agent. I was in a group of newly promoted agents and Mr. Eckhart came down to officially congratulate and inspect us. I blended in with the group, not wanting to be singled out, but he walked down our lineup and scrutinized each of us. The fear and awe in the room was incredible. He has such charisma that he could evoke fear or loyalty in anyone."  
  
Jesse shrugged imperceptibly. The man certainly inspired fear and hatred.  
  
Michelle's gaze was far away. "He stopped in front of me. I stood at attention waiting for him to move on, but he lowered his glasses and gazed directly into my eyes. I didn't expect that. My mouth must have dropped open. I couldn't look away and I didn't want to. My empathic senses were telling me that he was desperately curious about me. He was searching for something as he made eye-contact with me. I met his gaze. I knew he was my father and I wondered if he knew it too. And..well, I wanted to touch him. A short moment later his gaze seemed to shift inward. Before he moved on to the next agent I heard him say softly, 'Nicely done. Jennifer'- just like that and he waited, staring into my eyes again."  
  
Michelle gave a shaky sigh at the memory. "I said, 'Thank you sir,' and his lips made a funny little twitch as if he was trying to smile. The expression in his eyes was incredible-a fleeting joy immediately masked with suspicion and cynicism. I sensed feelings of discovery, triumph and excitement, all immediately censored by his incredible self-control. As he walked away I could have sworn he said 'Michelle' under his breath." Michelle sighed. "He knew me. We didn't speak to each other again until the day Adam brought him out of stasis, but I had determined on the day I met him in person that I would do everything in my power to support him and I did." There was a fierce note of pride Michelle's voice.  
  
Jesse raised an eyebrow. Something about Michelle Eckhart's unswerving devotion to her father both disturbed and intrigued him. "Um, Michelle." Jesse hesitated but had to ask the question. He shook his head and hesitated again. "This is going to sound bad.." the blond man reddened.  
  
Michelle laughed incredulously. "Jesse, what's bothering you? You're blushing!"  
  
Jesse cleared his throat. "Well, it's a personal question that I have to ask because your behavior makes it look like..." He blushed again and squirmed uncomfortably.  
  
The blonde empath's eyes suddenly mirrored Jesse's. "I can only read emotions, Jesse. What is so incredibly embarrassing that you want to ask me? TELL ME! Now I'm curious."  
  
Jesse looked down at the table. "You'll hate me for even thinking such a thing. I'd never mean to insult you.."  
  
"Jesse," Michelle's voice was warning him to get to the point.  
  
"Are you in love with Eckhart?"  
  
Michelle stared at him in total silent shock for a full minute. "In love with my father," she restated flatly. "What on earth would make you think that?"  
  
Jesse compressed his lips then exhaled, not meeting her eyes, his face beet red. "Your obsessive singlemindedness in all things concerning him. From the description of his stay in the stasis pods, to his stay in the hospital, and now in your home you've been close, very attached to him. You behave more like his mate, than his daughter. Does anything else matter in life besides him?  
  
As Michelle stared at him thoughtfully, almost scowling, a myriad of thoughts and feelings flew through her mind. Jesse looked uncomfortable, he was worried that he had irreparably offended her.  
  
She heaved a great sigh. "Jesse, how could you even think of asking such a question? That is so perverted. He may have been your arch-enemy, but yes, I love my father. He is my role model, my sire, my pack. He had been lost to me for years until I joined the GSA. Perhaps I am a bit overprotective since I nearly lost him again," her eyes crinkled at the corners at the next thought. "but I have no desire to mate with him as you feared." The woman studied his expression and noticed that he looked relieved. "Obsessiveness and unconventionality are Eckhart traits. Put that together with the excess of New Mutant abilities that I've been gifted with, perhaps my behavior can be a bit bizarre. I perceive things differently. As an empath and as a shape shifter I tend to lose myself in the identity of others, my uninhibited feral side sometimes flaunts what I am. I think my molecular side balances out the other qualities and gives me some stability." Michelle smiled. "Now that wasn't so bad, was it Jesse?"  
  
Jesse smiled back, tentatively placing his hand out on the table. Michelle playfully swatted at his head then placed her hand on the table, her fingers touching his.  
  
"Adam wasn't the one who 'gifted' you with New Mutant abilities, Michelle. Do you know who did?"  
  
"Mother told me that it was Dr. Jensen and her team. Believe me, I tried to locate her when I was at Genomex, but she seems to have vanished without a trail along with all my files."  
  
Jesse squeezed her hand. "I'll see if we can initiate a search from Sanctuary. Perhaps Adam will know something."  
  
"I should ask my father if he knows her."  
  
"You mean you never discussed it?"  
  
"It never came up."  
  
Shalimar approached with a gin and tonic in hand, Brennan following.  
  
"Hey," Shalimar smiled, her dark eyes momentarily glowing gold. "Mind if we join you?"  
  
Michelle smiled back, in response, her eyes momentarily glowed like coals as only Ferals could do. She liked Shalimar. There was a sense of kinship from her that she had not been able to achieve from her own family. Her twin, Diedre wanted to have nothing to do with her after her childhood illness. She had once told her in a fit of rage that she got all the attention and that she hated her. Her older brother, Gray was sweet tempered but non-commital toward her. She pretty much endured her teen years by being the exemplary student that her Mother and step-father wanted her to be while Diedre acted out her rebellion with motorcycle gangs, wild parties and who knows what else. No one ever knew at that time that the tiger, chameleon and the storm lived within her calm exterior. Now she was in the company of people just like herself.  
  
"Please." She answered the shorter woman.  
  
"How's the Dad?" Shalimar asked warmly, her brown eyes studying the slim blond woman.  
  
Michelle shrugged. "He keeps busy, mostly computer stuff, but at least he's not going comatose any more.  
  
"Adam seems to think that he still needs some sort of cerebral lobotomy protocol to be performed. Some sort of stabilization he said. I don't exactly understand it"  
  
"Adam is wrong." Michelle answered. Shalimar could have sworn she was gazing into Mason Eckhart's eyes. The family resemblance was frightening. Then Michelle's expressive eyes changed and had a lost expression. For a crazy moment, Shalimar thought she was looking at a reflection of her own eyes. Michelle looked away and frowned, hugging herself.  
  
Jesse took her hand. "You ok?" he asked.  
  
"Just one of my 'senses' kicking in." Michelle replied. She looked at Shalimar. "I'm fine. Just need to talk some girl talk if you guys don't mind." Brennan and Jesse shrugged and started to move into the crowd in search for dance partners.  
  
"We'll join you in a few," Shalimar said.  
  
Michelle scowled and kept her arms folded around herself, her skin pale and clammy. Shalimar sat closer to her. "You're not well, Michelle. What's wrong?"  
  
"As you know, I'm empathic. I got a hit off of you that unlocked a blocked memory, a horrible event that was covered over. The slim blond woman looked up earnestly at Shalimar. "I feel horrible, Shalimar. Dirty. Violated." She shook her head and folded her arms tightly about herself. "I feel so angry. Did you have such an experience? I'm sorry it's an awfully personal question to ask."  
  
Shalimar regarded her seriously. "Yeah. I was taken by Gabriel Ashlocke against my will." She shuddered. "Thank God he's dead though. I hope. You described my feelings about the experience exactly. I'm sorry you had to pick that up."  
  
"I'm glad I did. My blocked memory was identical to yours, one that I remained aware of in my nightmares, but could never remember in my waking hours."  
  
Shalimar put a protective arm around Michelle. "What happened, little sister?"  
  
Michelle shivered amid the blare of music in the club. "Ashlocke. He's still alive. Not too long ago he invaded my mind and in doing so, invaded my body as well. He wouldn't stop." Michelle closed her eyes and the tears that she couldn't cry before streamed from her eyes. "He's not dead, Shalimar. There's more, I'm trying to remember, but it's not coming. I don't remember where or how." Michelle struggled to remember that something else, something of key importance but the memory wouldn't come. "I remember asking my father for forgiveness, it doesn't make any sense because I don't think he has any knowledge of it.it's all like a dream." Michelle voice broke. Shalimar hugged the quietly sobbing woman and stared hollowly at the dancing crowd. Her worst nightmare had come back to life. So that apparition in the Dojo was no coincidence, apparently. She would hunt that bastard down and kill him herself- where ever he was.  
  
"Perhaps Emma can help you retrieve that memory fully. We've got to find out how Ashlocke got to you. Don't blame yourself. I hated myself for succumbing to him, but I realize that he deceived me and overpowered me. Hate him, not yourself." Shalimar said. Michelle nodded, comforted by her friend. She stood up and sighed. "I'll definitely want to tell Father."  
  
"You two are very close," Shalimar observed.  
  
"Not unlike you and Adam." Michelle replied, hugging Shalimar affectionately. "Thank you for letting me cry on your shoulder."  
  
"No problem." Shalimar replied. Michelle went to the ladies room to freshen up. Shalimar waited for Brennan and Jesse to finish dancing with the girls that they had picked up in the meantime.  
  
"What's up?" Brennan asked.  
  
Shalimar stared moodily ahead. "I think we're going to see more of Ashlocke," she said with a deadly stare. She filled in the guys on the essentials. Her partying mood had gone out the door. Now she wanted to hunt down and kill.  
  
AT THE CLUB- Emma  
  
"Yeah." Emma gazed around, filling her eyes with the sight of the dancers at the club. She strode forward into the milling, gyrating crowd, dressed in her black leather outfit.  
  
"Can I buy you a drink?" A tall, sandy haired man blocked her way. Emma looked up inquiring. "I'm meeting a friend, no thanks," She demurred. The fellow was persistent. "Your friend could wait a few minutes couldn't he, pretty lady?" He took her by the arm. "C'mon. Dance with me."  
  
Emma beginning to feign alarm said, "NO! I'm not interested. Go dance with someone else." The fellow held her arm.  
  
"I can tell you're crazy about me." He pulled Emma close to himself and wrapped his arms around her. "You've got that look about you and I can fulfil all your dreams," he murmured in her ear.  
  
Emma struggled free and backed away in mock alarm. "Are you trying to tell me that I look like a slut?"  
  
She bumped into a dark haired man who was watching the conversation with great interest. "No," he told her. "You just look like you like a lot of action, babe. How about taking on two of us at once?"  
  
Emma/Ashlocke looked at the two men with distaste and sighed. As Ashlocke, he had that effect on women and liked taking two of them from time to time. Now in Emma's body, it seemed like men couldn't keep their hands off him, not that it was surprising, he just preferred the babes. Disgusted, he projected a thought at the two men that left them in an incapacitated stupor and pushed them away.  
  
"Men are such animals, don't you agree?" a lovely brunette with blue eyes commented. Emma looked her over in obvious appreciation. The dark-haired woman, interested, maintained eye contact. "Aren't we all?" Emma replied evasively. Ashlocke wanted to make some moves on this one, but baffled at his new anatomy, hesitated.  
  
"Can I buy you a drink?" she asked Emma. Emma stretched against the counter and casually looked the woman over again. "Yeah. Daiquiry. Virgin." The brunette raised an eyebrow. Deep inside Emma's mind, Ashlocke mentally berated himself for the slip.  
  
"You must be new at this," the woman commented.  
  
"You could say that." Emma replied lightly, resting her ankle against that of her companion. "What's your name?"  
  
"Tasha," she answered. "Yours?" "Emma."  
  
Ashlocke was unable to contain his impatience. The simple contact with the woman was driving him mad with lust. "Let's go somewhere," he said in a half-choked voice.  
  
"You ok, Emma? How about we dance?" Tasha took Emma's hand and started leading her to the dance floor. Emma gasped at the touch. Her eyes darkened and she mind-linked with the woman. Tasha's blue eyes widened with arousal, then with terror as Ashlocke did the unthinkable to her within the sanctuary of her mind. Her eyes were locked on Emma's. After a long moment, Emma/Ashlocke kissed her gently. "Uhmmm." She said throatily, savoring the telepathic experience. "I really need Adam's body. Now forget it, babe," she said aiming a Psionic blast at Tasha's head. Then Emma turned and strode away.  
  
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROOM,  
  
Shalimar had joined Michelle in the ladies' room after contacting Brennan. Michelle suddenly raised her head and gazed around alertly. Her entire demeanor changed from fear to battle-alertness. Her eyes flashed with Feral ferocity. Shalimar looked about as well but couldn't sense anything amiss.  
  
"What's wrong, Michelle?" she asked again.  
  
"Terror, horrible violation. A silent scream in the crowd." Michelle said, her eyes dark as night.  
  
"If looks could kill," Shalimar thought. The tall, blond feral-empath suddenly headed out into the crowd, following her senses.  
  
Shalimar touched her arm. "Do you know who you're looking for?"  
  
Michelle shook her head, her eyes glinting dangerously. "I'll know when I find her."  
  
Shalimar lifted her head and sniffed delicately. "Hm. Smells like someone wears the same perfume as Emma, only much stronger." She raised an eyebrow and followed her companion.  
  
Moments later, Michelle was at the side of an attractive dark-haired woman who seemed lost. Michelle nodded at Shalimar.  
  
"Hi. You here with anyone?" Shalimar asked kindly.  
  
"No, just looking around," Tasha replied mechanically, her beautiful blue eyes looking blank. Michelle sat next to her and gently probed her mind for residual memories.  
  
AROUND THE CORNER, NOT TOO FAR AWAY,  
  
Emma was having more problems with men. A hand groped her familiarly. "HEY, get your hands off me!" she said, whirling to face a grinning man.  
  
"Now you can't get much hotter than that," he drawled.  
  
"In your dreams." Ashlocke/Emma snarled, her gray eyes darkening. Then she stared harder. "Manuel?"  
  
Manuel smirked at her. "You're pretty good to have guessed my name." He cornered her in a booth and sat intimately close to her, placing a hand on her lap. "You're a New Mutant aren't you? Hm. Lemme guess. Emma." He grinned again. "I learned from a great guy about the proper use of babes like you." Manuel held Emma's head still and projected a red Psionic field into her eyes. Emma stared defiantly at the dark-haired man even as he covered her mouth with his and began to kiss her deeply. Deep inside Emma's psyche, Ashlocke shook his head in disgust. Manuel was overriding Emma's body with pleasure signals, blocking out her judgment centers, just as Ashlocke had once done to his victims.  
  
"NO!" Ashlocke roared jealously. "MINE!"  
  
Manuel stopped in his tracks and stared at Emma. His eyes filled with sudden fear. "It can't be." He murmured.  
  
Emma stared daggers at him. She sent a powerful Psionic blast at Manuel's head. "We can't let you in on our little secret now, can we?" she said with an evil smile.  
  
BACK AROUND THE CORNER, SAME ROOM,  
  
"Blank." Michelle commented. She probed more deeply.  
  
"Honey, have you been having a good time here?" Shalimar asked, offering her a drink. As she drew close to Tasha, her delicate sense of smell detected Emma's scent. At the same time, Michelle got a clear mental image of Emma, looking at her seductively. Shalimar exchanged alarmed glances with Michelle.  
  
"Do you think.." Shalimar began,  
  
"Oh no, " Tasha started trembling as the probing unlocked some memory of the event. "I think I was raped by a transvestite. She was really hot, but I never dreamed she was really a man."  
  
Shalimar put a protective arm around her. "This kid really needs to have this memory erased." She thought.  
  
"Do you remember who it was? Maybe me and my friends can find him and take him out for you." Shalimar dreaded hearing what the short brunette was going to say next.  
  
"All of my favorite women in the same place," a familiar voice addressed them.  
  
"Emma?" Tasha hung back and stared at Emma with some confusion. Emma glanced at the brunette and then looked at Michelle. "Problem?" she asked.  
  
"So you made it here after all." Shalimar commented with a questioning expression. Emma smiled back with a deliberate look in her eyes.  
  
"This poor kid had a bad experience." Shalimar said, filling in the brooding silence.  
  
Emma licked her lips and combed her right hand through her hair as she stared at Tasha. Without a word, she sent a Psionic blast at her head. Tasha closed her eyes and slumped over. Michelle probed her empathically again but found no memory traces this time.  
  
"Emma, I know you raped her. You've gone too far." Michelle told her in a low voice, filled with anger.  
  
"What on earth are you talking about?" Emma replied staring at the blond feral-empath with steely eyes. "Shalimar, listen to this." Emma smirked. "Eckhart's daughter is now trying to turn you against me. Can you believe this?" Without further warning, she aimed a Psionic blast at Michelle. Michelle ducked with incredible feral speed and landed neatly in an attack position.  
  
Shalimar looked uncertainly from Emma to Michelle, her eyes wide with pained indecision.  
  
"You're not Emma," Michelle hissed. "You're the one who invaded my mind at the hospital. You can't block my memories forever, Gabriel Ashlocke."  
  
Shalimar's eyes flashed at the name but she couldn't bring herself to believe that a dead man was controlling Emma. Emma sent another blast at the taller Feral. Michelle dodged again. "Listen to me, Shalimar. Why would Emma's scent be on Tasha?"  
  
"Why would Emma say something as unlikely as 'all of my favorite women in the same place'?" Jesse literally materialized out of the woodwork and glared at Emma suspiciously. "I've wondered at your sudden change in behavior over the past couple months."  
  
Emma looked surprised and hurt. "How could you doubt me Jesse, after all we've been through together?" Her eyes darkened. "I know. You've got the hots for Michelle and will believe and do anything she says."  
  
"Tasha recognized Emma and spoke her name." Michelle countered.  
  
"I met Tasha at the bar. That doesn't mean a thing," Emma declared.  
  
Shalimar shuddered. They both had good arguments. Now for the tiebreaker.  
  
"I want to believe you, Emma," she said softly, approaching her friend until she was an arms length away. She stood there and gazed deeply into Emma's eyes. A cold feeling swept through her as she became certain that the person staring back at her was not Emma. Shalimar trembled with both fear and rage as she faced Gabriel Ashlocke and found herself unable to break away. Ashlocke grinned evilly at her, confident in his absolute control over her. Suddenly the nightmare vision broke. Emma suddenly convulsed in pain and passed out as Brennan delivered a shock sufficient to knock her out.  
  
"You OK, Shalimar?" Brennan asked.  
  
"I am now." Shalimar replied. "Thanks for saving my ass."  
  
Jesse stared at their fallen teammate. "How long will she be out?"  
  
"Long enough to get her home and have a subdermal governor installed," Brennan replied gravely. Shalimar swallowed. For Brennan to recommend a subdermal governor after what he had been through was saying something.  
  
"I'll stay with Tasha." Michelle told them. The group silently helped Emma out of the Club, into the car, and back to Sanctuary. 


	9. Moment Alone

Chapter 10- A moment alone.  
  
A/N: Here I am tormenting poor Emma and thinking about the next couple chapters.Adam's dilemma, then maybe the final chapter- Inferno, Ruffyan style where Emma gets to get rid of Ashlocke? Ehhh. Maybe not. How bout keeping her stuck with him forever? Maybe I've dug myself in there and can't get out.gosh. What would Mason do?  
  
Emma sat alone in her room on her bed. She was devastated by the knowledge.  
  
"Oh god," she sobbed quietly clutching the pillow in the semi darkness, "what have I done!" Emma grasped for some semblance of stability to stabilize her mind. She felt the back of her neck. The subdermal governor was securely implanted. Another wave of despair swept over her. Michael turned out to be a fantasy. The wonderful Psionic she had met and bonded with-Emma stifled a terrified sob, he was a front for Ashlock. Michael never existed, but Ashlocke was still there in her mind. With the governor restricting both of them, Emma could control him now, but there was nothing she could do to get rid of him. Everything had been some elaborate mind-control imposed on her by Ashlocke. The thought sickened her.  
  
And where was Adam? He was the one person who believed in her without hesitation. He could help her, but Jesse had told her with a baffled look that Adam told them he was on the verge of a breakthrough and couldn't come just now. Emma closed her eyes. She remembered planting that thought in his mind with Michael. It seemed funny at the time.  
  
Eventually, her sobs subsided. She finally heaved a deep sigh. The heaviness still weighed upon her soul, but she was dead tired. She would sleep-and hope that Ashlocke would not take over her body again as she slept. Emma dried her tears with her covers and sighed again. As she looked up she gave a muffled shriek as she saw a face watching her closely not more than two feet away. Mason Eckhart sat in the chair near her bed and was watching her silently, with unabashed curiousity.  
  
"I'm sorry for having startled you, Ms. DeLauro," he said.  
  
"Where in hell did you come from? How did you get into Sanctuary? How did you get into my room! It's been shielded." Emma gasped.  
  
"Let me make one thing perfectly clear. I never explain anything," Eckhart replied sternly. "Wallowing in self-pity will not change things." The thin, white-haired, pale man sat back in the chair next to Emma's bed and sighed deeply. He apparently had made a decision. Eckhart leaned forward again, his intense dark eyes piercing Emma's gray ones.  
  
"Things are rarely what they seem to be from the outside. Ms. DeLauro, I need your full attention and cooperation." Eckhart began. Emma stared at him suspiciously--another psycho-maniac trying to take advantage of her.  
  
"I believe I have figured out the puzzle. Adam is host to Ashlocke's DNA which is replicating like a cancer in his body while you house Ashlocke's mind and soul. As soon as Ashlocke's new body-Adam-- is stable, his mind should vacate yours, leaving yours intact if you are lucky."  
  
Emma frowned at Eckhart. "What about Adam?"  
  
Eckhart's eyes flashed wickedly. "He has been mutating slowly for the past few months. The process will cascade as soon as his body stops resisting Ashlocke's DNA seed, which should be very soon. We'd have to kill him, of course."  
  
Emma shrank away from the white-haired man. "Get out of here you bastard. Get your perverted ass out of my room. I refuse to hurt Adam." Emma called into her Comm-link, "Jesse, Shalimar, Brennan, there's an intruder in my room!" She glared at Eckhart. "If you don't leave right now, I'll have to subdue you myself."  
  
Eckhart allowed himself half a smile and remained placidly in his chair. "Nicely done, Ms. DeLauro." He said. "Now I am convinced that you are not under Ashlocke's control." He raised an eyebrow gave a shadow of a smile. "By the way, your Com-link will not work. It's under my control." Emma's eyes widened in apprehension.  
  
He continued. "Ms. DeLauro, it is imperative that you listen to what I have to say." He continued to brief her on Ashlock's plan to resurrect himself."  
  
"How do you know all this? And why should I believe you?" Emma demanded.  
  
Eckhart stared at her. "YOU were there. Search your memories, the ones that were formed while you let Mr. Ashlocke drive the car." He stood up and made as if to leave then hesitated. "May I borrow your computer, Ms. DeLauro?"  
  
Emma bit her tongue. "Of course," she replied civilly. Eckhart nodded his thanks. She followed him, curious to see what access code he would use. The white-haired man stared, his eyes reflecting the silver screen.  
  
"Do you remember everything, Ms. DeLauro?" Eckhart asked, without turning to her.  
  
"I think so."  
  
"Where did it begin?" He asked. "You were linked with Ashlocke through all of his exploitations."  
  
Emma shook her head. "I only remember waking up one night after pursuing Ashlocke into the past. I heard him laughing yet he wasn't there. I chalked it up to a bad dream." Emma frowned. "I seemed to have developed negative attitudes since then, but Adam thought it was a natural process of developing my own individuality. Sort of like teen-age rebellion and the terrible twos." She looked at Eckhart. He remained glued to the screen, his back still toward her.  
  
"Adam wanted me to communicate with you, to bring you out of your coma. Michelle linked with me before I entered your mind. She didn't trust me. I suddenly went blank and lost contact with Michelle and with you. I heard Adam calling me, then I found my way-but you and Ashlocke were locked in a Psionic/ Psychokinetic battle."  
  
Eckhart stiffened as he stood at the screen. "Adam." He muttered. "I suppose you are linked with him as well?"  
  
Emma stared at Eckhart's back without seeing him. She remembered the crush she had on Adam just a few months ago. Could that have saved her back then? Did she still feel that way?  
  
"I was able to subdue Ashlocke with a Psionic blast and get out of your mind, following Adam's voice. After that I met a wonderful man named Michael. We spent some time together, but that's none of your business." Emma replied, feeling incredibly tired.  
  
"But did you really leave my mind?" Eckhart turned from the monitor, his dark eyes seemed haunted as he stared at her again. Emma suddenly found herself back in Eckhart's mindscape at Genomex. The white-haired man sat in his executive chair staring at the stasis pods, his back to her. Abruptly, he turned to face her.  
  
Emma shuddered at the sense of déjà vu. "What do you want, Eckhart?"  
  
"I want for you to leave." He answered.  
  
Emma looked around but couldn't find the door. "You've trapped me in here!"  
  
Eckhart glowered. "Quite on the contrary, Ms. DeLauro, you and your consort have made yourselves at home here. I want you to leave, NOW."  
  
"But there is no way out!" Emma protested.  
  
"I will tolerate no excuses. You will have to find a way out."  
  
"Or what?" Ashlocke suddenly appeared beside her, looking slightly disheveled, his hands bound in cuffs.  
  
Eckhart's eyes glinted dangerously as he stared silently at them. Emma backed away from Ashlocke and moved carefully toward the part of the room that used to have a door. Ashlocke faded out of sight again.  
  
"I'm trying to leave, believe me," Emma desperately tried the panels around the room, searching for the exit while Eckhart seemed to loom bigger than life over her. Distance and size became distorted. While he seemed to hover almost over her shoulder, his voice was distant as if coming from the other end of the room. A man-sized white lioness suddenly appeared and padded quietly toward her, its golden eyes gleaming with anticipation. Emma shrank back in fear.  
  
"Stay." Eckhart said gently to the beast. The lioness promptly sat beside him. His hand caressed the back of the animal's head as it stared at Emma with intelligent eyes. Emma found herself mesmerized by the stare.  
  
Eckhart leaned over to the animal and touched his forehead to its head then hugged it. The Lioness turned its amber gaze to him. Emma blinked in amazement. He was like a boy with a favorite pet. Suddenly the office setting was gone and she was back in her room.  
  
Eckhart's eyes seemed to gleam like silver. "It's only a dream, Ms. deLauro, go back to sleep." He watched her gravely. Emma suddenly awoke alone in her darkened room, sweating and gasping for breath.  
  
IN THE MATRIX  
  
Marlina and Aarariah looked at Natalia questioningly. The third member of the Unity morphed from a white lioness back to human form.  
  
"She and Ashlocke are linked." Natalia reported. "It would appear that bringing them into the Matrix as before may be the only way to separate them."  
  
"Too risky." Marlina answered. "we should eliminate Emma, then we eliminate Ashlocke, resulting in the removal of their presence from Mason Eckhart. This in turn would restore our Unity to a secure condition.  
  
"But can we be assured that Ashlocke will die and move on?  
  
The trio shook their heads, concerned.  
  
Natalia stared gravely ahead. "I can assure that," she said quietly. "I have an idea," she continued. Their eyes glowed silver as their discussion was processed, agreed upon, then relayed to Eckhart. 


	10. Stepping Out

A/N- All hell breaks loose when Ashlocke's powers finally fully manifest themselves in Adam. Sorry this is slow, me been sick. BTW, I was absolutely shocked and DELIGHTED with Lest He Become. Yes, Ace- Eckhart's new look completely freaked me out. RAD!!! Inspiring!!! So somewhere in this chapter is a little bit of Eckhart dressing.. Hope you like (personally, I'll always love him in white hair).  
  
Stepping out  
  
It was 2am in the morning. Adam worked alone in the lab It was the place where he was most content, working out his thoughts in tune with Sanctuary's mainframe. He still wondered about his mixed feelings about Emma. It had been a few months and somehow he felt tied to her. Did she do something to his mind? No, not Emma, she had too much integrity. Yet there was an inexplicable sense of danger tied in to his feelings for her, as if somehow, life had just become far more complicated than he could put into words. He couldn't put a finger on it, but lately, the expression in Emma's eyes was furtive, secretive, and yes, gloating. She was surely hiding something but what?  
  
Adam felt obsessed with the need to perfect a serum to stabilize the growth of New Mutant powers, something he had failed to do for Gabriel Ashlocke. Why was he so obsessed with this? Adam wondered. Ever since Ashlocke blew himself up in Sanctuary, things just hadn't been the same. Did he somehow contaminate their home? Emma seemed a little off, she was questioning their ideals, and not totally with the group. Shalimar was uneasy at the thought that Ashlocke was still around. Jesse and Brennan reported strange manifestations going on within Sanctuary- little things like objects moving by themselves, the sense that someone was around, the computer acting up. All these things had potential explanations; and what about Michelle Eckhart? The young lady with the awesome potential of Gabriel Ashlocke engineered into her DNA had spent the last few months alone in Genomex guarding her father and caring for him. Who did this to her, Adam wondered. Adam also wondered if Gabriel Ashlocke may have already accessed her mind and turned her into a walking time bomb.  
  
Now Adam felt a tremendous surge of aggressive energy. He stretched and suddenly all his senses became heightened. He could sense the presence of each of the MX team and his hearing, vision and sense of smell suddenly went off scale. Everything was vibrantly alive, too much so. Adam felt strange, exhilarated, and aroused. His dark eyes flashed and he suddenly could see as if into a different spectrum of light. Puzzled, he forced himself to relax and the world returned to normal. Adam wondered what could have brought on that experience. But he could feel Shalimar's presence most closely for some reason as if they shared some link. Adam snorted ruefully to himself. First Emma, now Shalimar. Attack of the raging hormones, he thought. If this keeps up, I'll be no different from Gabriel Ashlocke with his harem. Shaking his head, he headed to the Dojo. He was hot and needed to clear his mind. The best way to do that would be to kick some ass.  
  
Before he reached the Dojo, the computer signaled an incoming message. Adam clenched his fist in a rare fit of impatience. He needed to let out his aggressions. Upon acknowledging that sentiment, Adam paused. He rarely felt like this. This is not like himself. Perhaps the problem was him. The computer beeped again. The transmission message was on the private account, the one that he had at Genomex.  
  
"Adam," the white-haired man on the other side addressed him. "It is imperative that we speak. I've been informed by sources that you've been set up to become a biological time bomb." Adam could see Michelle standing behind her father slightly off to the side.  
  
"Mason, I don't have time for games." Adam replied. "I know you've been under the stress of many changes in your life and that perhaps you are not seeing things clearly. I can adjust that for you."  
  
Mason Eckhart frowned. Ashlocke did get to him. Adam was under the impression that he was a delusional psychotic. Raising an eyebrow, Eckhart added, "No Adam. It is you that is not seeing things clearly. You are under Ashlocke's influence."  
  
"Ashlocke is dead," Adam snapped, ignoring the fact of the appearance of the apparition.  
  
"Listen carefully, Adam." Eckhart said slowly and deliberately. "Sparky told me that your mind has been tampered with." Eckhart paused and stared meaningfully at Adam.  
  
Adam paused. "What do you know of Sparky?" He demanded. Suddenly another rush of energy swept through Adam's body. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He could hear Michelle telling Eckhart,  
  
"Father, he's mutating." He opened his eyes and saw that Michelle had suddenly stepped forward and was studying him with intense, almost hungry interest.  
  
"Adam?" Eckhart's image called.  
  
Adam motioned with his hand and the computer monitor flew backwards and crashed onto the floor. Eckhart frowned as Adam's image suddenly went blank on his screen. He buried his face in his hands and his eyes turned silver as he channeled his mind into the network. "Aari, I need your help to get Adam's attention." Then he straightened. Something felt wrong.  
  
"Michelle, I need to meet someone at the hospital," he said.  
  
His golden-haired daughter stared at him, obviously struggling for control. Finally she said, "Old man, you're not going anywhere."  
  
SANCTUARY ***  
  
Somewhere in the network of Sanctuary's computer, a concerned Aarariah watched Adam run up the stairs to the Dojo. He was preoccupied with controlling the incredible surge of impulses and powers, yet still appeared to be in total denial. His powers seemed to be cascading, now that Ashlocke's infused cells made a harbor in his body's DNA and progressed steadily into his brain. She formed Ashlocke's image and sent it out through the Dojo program.  
  
Adam paused. He did not program the computer to use Ashlocke's image. What was going on? In his moment of hesitation, Ashlocke drop kicked Adam against the wall. Adam instinctively came back with a spiraling twist over the man and pulled him down. Ashlocke's image sprang back. Adam mentally nodded, realizing that this image was set to the highest combat level. He also marveled that his own body's enhanced reactions were comparable to that of Shalimar. Another orgasmic blast of energy filled his body and left it, leaving Adam nearly breathless. A part of his mind was trying to understand what was happening to him, but the onslaught of sensations was powerful, threatening to pull him into a mindless orgy of energy. Ashlocke's image silently aimed a blast of energy at Adam. Adam instinctively pushed back with his hands and blocked the energy blast. Adam stared in consternation. What is going on with him and the computer? Dojo was not programmed to use mutant powers, this was a martial arts program! And he was using mutant powers, indeed, he was immersed in them. Had he been drugged, or was he under Psionic mind control? Suddenly alarmed, Adam glanced about furtively for intruders. The image of Ashlocke suddenly vanished. A woman appeared, beautiful creature. All of Adam's senses went into high arousal at the sight of her. He wanted nothing more than to dominate her and pull her into bed with him. As he started to approach her, he projected a telepathic ray at her head, but it went right through her.  
  
"Adam," a well modulated, female voice called him. "Fight it, Adam. I know you can."  
  
"You know me?" Adam asked, blinking.  
  
The dark-haired woman gazed at him regally. Adam stepped nearer, every sense alert. There was such silence about her. He tentatively extended his hand toward her to touch her. His hand passed through her image.  
  
"You're not part of the holographic program," Adam stated, trying to reason out the disparity as his body continued to flood him with sensations of power, threatening to override his mind. His bodily sensations alarmed him to the point of panic. He felt his mind and reasoning powers caving in to the appetites of his evolving body.  
  
"Who are you?" he asked, shuddering as he fought to control wave after wave of lust.  
  
A hurt expression passed over the woman's face but she answered, "I am Sparky. You must try to remember."  
  
"I'm sure I'd remember you," Adam replied softly, angling himself around the image, trying to touch her again. Another surge of energy filled Adam's body. He screamed.  
  
IN THE MATRIX  
  
"I can't access his mind," Aarariah said with intense concern to her companions.  
  
"Our resident telepaths have been contaminated," Eckhart added in disgust, thinking of Emma and Michelle. Natalia stared at him speculatively. "Michelle has been compromised and is holding me captive."  
  
"You have telepathic capabilities, Mason and you are her father," she answered. "You must get to the hospital with or without her."  
  
The white-haired man shook his head. "My powers work only in the network," he replied. "What about you, Natalia?"  
  
He caught a shadow of sadness that passed quickly in her eyes. "I have to handle Ashlocke, once he is freed and break all the links he has formed between you, Emma and Michelle. You have the strength to wall him off and to operate without his influence, you must do that for Adam."  
  
Eckhart looked at her in surprise. "I am to act as a firewall for Adam?"  
  
Natalia's grey eyes were determined. "So that I can be free to eliminate Ashlocke. If Ashlocke accesses Adam's mind, he will possess him and complete his quest for power. He knows that Adam is ready. We must move quickly."  
  
"And what of Adam?" Eckhart asked. "He is a free agent right now."  
  
"In his current state, he is somewhat predictable. Let us pray that his operatives will succeed in what we were unable to accomplish." Aari said.  
  
IN SANCTUARY  
  
The wave of energy ebbed a little. Thoroughly alarmed, Adam ran back to his lab. Laying in the Med-chair, he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, focusing his mind on stillness. Suddenly his mind was bombarded with thoughts and voices not his own. The din in his mind was incredible. Opening his eyes, Adam sat up and gazed around wild-eyed. There was no one in this room. Why then, did it sound like conversation in a convention hall? Uneasy, he leapt off the chair and restlessly padded around the lab. His senses felt over amplified again. Surely he had to be on some kind of drug. He felt as if there were people in the room with him as well. Yes, this had to be some kind of drug-induced hallucination. There were clearly no one in the room, yet he sensed presences, could hear voices as if he were in the middle of a crowd.  
  
Adam concentrated on keeping his wits about him and not panicking. Someone was out to get him and he wasn't about to let that happen. Grabbing a syringe, he stabbed it into his arm and drew 2 vials of blood. He was fluctuating between paranoia and feelings of incredible arousal. As he had the blood samples analyzed for drugs and hormone levels, he paced back and forth restlessly trying to remember where he might have been where someone could poison him-unless it was one of his own people! Adam felt his heart race. Sweat poured from him as he fought to control his sudden rage at feelings of betrayal. His hearing suddenly went off scale again and he could sense everyone- Shalimar, Emma, Brennan, and Jesse. Jesse, Shalimar and Brennan were talking about Emma..What! a subdermal governor? Emma was walking in a sweet paradise of quiet beauty-with him- or with someone like himself. How did he know that? Adam stopped in front of a mirror. He blinked and a pair of golden Feral eyes blinked back at him.  
  
"I'm not a New Mutant." Adam stated simply to the image. "This is some kind of drug-induced hallucination, and I intend to find out who drugged me." Pain racked his body as another wave of cascading development of New Mutant Powers overtook him. He stumbled onto the floor and curled into fetal position, trying to weather the pain until he could move and speak again.  
  
Shalimar strolled into the lab. She paused only a moment at the sight of Adam hunched down on the floor hugging himself, eyes tightly shut. The lab was in shambles. She smelled fear and arousal.  
  
"Adam?" her voice rising with concern. Brennan and Jesse were nearby. "Brennan, Jesse-I think Adam is hurt, come to the lab" she said urgently.  
  
The golden haired Feral crouched next to Adam. "Help is on the way, Adam. Adam, look at me." The dark haired man kept his head down, eyes tightly shut, tears streaming down his face. Shalimar touched his shoulders, frustrated that she couldn't help him. A wave of arousal swept over Adam at her touch. Sensing the change in his state, Shalimar backed away cautiously.  
  
"Leave me," Adam rasped. "I don't want to hurt you and if you stay, I won't be able to help myself." He rolled over, panting as waves of pleasure and desire engulfed him.  
  
"NO!" he forced himself to concentrate on the anomaly in the Dojo, and found himself fantasizing about the dark haired woman there. Adam shook his head and moved his thoughts to the formula that he had been trying to finish for the past few months. The overwhelming flood of pleasure suddenly turned into fear.  
  
Brennan and Jesse raced in.  
  
Adam, can you stand? Brennan asked.  
  
Adam shook his head mutely, trying to keep down a scream of panic.  
  
Brennan, Shal, and Jesse lifted their leader carefully onto the Med-chair where Adam remained curled in fetal position on his side.  
  
Where's Em? Jesse asked Shal.  
  
She shrugged, her eyes betraying the sadness in them.  
  
No. no Emma" Adam barked at them  
  
He's so cold, Shalimar exclaimed, touching his forhead. Jesse pulled his jacket off and laid it over Adam.  
  
Help me, Adam gasped, shuddering, his eyes suddenly open, staring sightlessly ahead, hugging himself, trying to keep himself from lashing out explosively with his new Mutant powers..  
  
Brennan, Sahl and Jesse gasped. Adam's eyes were glowing golden, like a Feral. But his expression was vacant, as if he was elsewhere. Suddenly he covered his face and screamed. Too much! He cried. He lashed out aimlessly with his hands and bands of energy flew out and blew holes into the walls. Shalimar firmly put her arms around Adam's shoulders in an effort to comfort and to keep his arms contained but Adam was too strong. He lashed out and Shalimar went flying across the room. She struck the wall with incredible force and collapsed. Brennan and Jesse tried to pin Adam's arms down.  
  
"Adam, it's us. We're trying to help you." Brennan yelled.  
  
"You've got Mutant powers, Adam. You have the ability to control them, just like you taught us," Jesse shouted, as Adam continued to struggle.  
  
"You can hear me, Adam," Jesse continued, as he massed in order to deflect another energy bolt. "You can control it."  
  
Adam grimaced in pain and covered his ears with his hands. He could vaguely hear Jesse and Brennan's voices as if in the middle of a whirlwind. All of his life force felt like it was poured out and expanding. He could hear and feel everything. Thoughts not his own. He could feel the concern from these individuals, feel the hatred nearby as well.  
  
Emma had walked in and was leaning at the doorway. She was smiling as if she was enjoying this immensely. Gently shaking her head, Emma said under her breath, "Now you know what my life has been like, Adam. Enjoy it." Aloud, she said, "I'm concerned that Adam may also have Ashlocke's Psionic abilities. He may be affecting our minds." She started to walk away then spotted Shalimar lying senseless on the floor. Emma gazed at her for a long time.  
  
"C'mon Emma," Brennan called out. "Can't you give Adam one of your Psionic boosters and calm him down?"  
  
Emma turned and stared at the men. Raking her hair back with her right hand, she replied, "With THIS on?" She pulled the hair off the back of her neck to show off the subdermal governor. Adam, this is what my coworkers think of me. You've got to do something about this. They're jealous of me and of you." Emma stood there, waiting for Adam to react. Adam kept his eyes closed. He could hear their thoughts.  
  
"Damned governor...How are we going to stabilize Adam? I'm afraid he'll die...will a subdermal governor work for him like it's working for Emma? ..Damned Ashlocke. If he wasn't residing in Emma, I'd kill him myself..Hahahaha I'll convince Adam to remove the governor and then I can proceed with my plan...Adam, poor Adam. I wish I could help him. ..Poor bastard, all those powers multiplying and evolving like Ashlocke did in the end..is this the end?.....oh, god, what if Adam can't control the cascade of powers-but he's Adam, he has the mind to control it all..  
  
Emma stared angrily at the group then looked down at Shalimar again. "Here, let me help you to your room," she said gently.  
  
"No," Brennan said. Emma stopped and looked at him.  
  
"I'm fine now, Brennan. I think the sub-dermal governor drove Ashlocke out of my mind. At least let me be of some help, even if you don't trust me." Emma cajoled.  
  
"What if she's right about Adam. What if Adam did something to our minds?" Jesse wondered.  
  
Brennan countered. "Maybe Emma has something to do with Adam's condition. They've been working together an awful lot lately."  
  
Adam suddenly roared and threw Brennen off with motion of his arm.  
  
"Sorry, Adam." Jesse said. He massed his right arm and struck Adam's head. Adam fell into a deep sleep even as his body continued to twitch and convulse on the table.-----------------------------  
  
** BREAK **  
  
Adam dreamed. He walked into the nearby electronics store, looking for a high capacity memory chip. The darkly tanned, blond fellow with the closely cropped hair behind the counter seemed familiar, but the three beautiful women who were gathered around him discussing computer networks obstructed his view. The four were intently studying and discussing a spec sheet. Adam waited patiently. Adam was tempted to add his opinion to the mix, but refrained. Still arguing over which components to use, the women moved aside for Adam. The woman with light brown hair tinted with gold looked at the counter guy and touched his hand gently as she moved on. The man's face lit up as he stared after her. He then looked up at Adam and smiled at the look of astonishment on Adam's face.  
  
"Mason! What are you doing here?"  
  
"It's a job, Adam." Mason Eckhart answered carelessly, stealing a glance at the gold-streaked raven-haired woman.  
  
"But you look so different!" Adam exclaimed, eyeing the healthy looking tan on his old adversary.  
  
"It's amazing what a new hairstyle can do. Did you know that exo-skin can be manufactured in different shades now? I decided to try a more, you know, approachable skin tone." Eckhart replied straight faced.  
  
Adam nodded approvingly. "It becomes you. You lost the glasses too."  
  
"Can I help you?" Mason interrupted.  
  
Adam shook his head still in disbelief. "I can't believe you're working in this type of environment."  
  
"Oh, I own the store," Mason explained. "What I own, I operate. The benefits are unique here. Now, as I have other customers waiting, what can I do for you Adam?" Eckhart asked more pointedly, studying him with that age-old infuriating superior gaze of his. One of the other women, the green-eyed woman with hair like onyx watched Adam intently, almost longingly.  
  
"Yeah. I just wanted to purchase this." Adam tossed a small cardboard package onto the counter.  
  
Mason stared at him gravely. Without taking his eyes away, he said, "That will be 18.239GigaHerz."  
  
Adam started as if he had been slapped in the face. "But, I can't pay that kind of currency, Mason," he protested. Mason raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Why don't you ask SPARKY for a loan, Adam." Mason suggested. His eyes somehow seemed glazed, almost silvery.  
  
Adam shook his head. "Something wrong you're your eyes? They're glazed as if you have a fever." Mason stared at him without responding. Profoundly shaken Adam drifted off into a dreamless sleep.  
  
INSIDE THE COMPUTER MATRIX, Aari and Marlina stared in disbelief. "He didn't recognize the key."  
  
IN THE LAB  
  
Brennan and Jesse stared at each other, alarmed and worn from the struggle. The lab's monitor was on. In the silence, they heard a voice addressing them.  
  
"You must get Adam to the Memorial Hospital immediately if you hope to save yourselves and him." A dark-haired woman's face was staring at them. "Emma has already made her escape. Time is of the essence."  
  
Jesse checked his com-link and Emma's location on the global tracking device. "She's right. Emma is headed toward the city."  
  
"She is at intersection of Route 89 and Washington street. Given her trajectory and previous destinations, it is believed that she is headed for Michelle's house."  
  
"Eckhart is there," Shalimar sighed standing up, "she'll kill him."  
  
"What?" Jesse asked. "What makes you say that?"  
  
Shalimar frowned and shook her head. "It's Ashlocke. I'm somehow linked to his mind and he's guiding Emma to track him down to kill him."  
  
Brennan addressed the woman in the monitor. "Who are you?" Brennan asked. "Why should we believe you?"  
  
"I am Sanctuary." She replied, her dark eyes fixed on them. Lights began to flicker then shut down. "Follow the light to Double Helix. I will guide him to your destination. At the hospital, there will be instructions as to where to proceed- we will see to it."  
  
"But, him?" Brennan began. Everything went dark, including the monitor. One light shone on Adam's form. Looking around suspiciously, Brennan and Jesse lifted Adam's unconscious form over their shoulders. Shalimar led the way, following the lead of the mysterious woman as one light at a time turned on ahead of them to light the way to the Double Helix. 


	11. Megiddon

Megiddon  
  
A/N: Thanks, Tom. You can't imagine what those three words meant to me. ; ) Maya, I think there is definitely a possible ship with Adam and Emma and tried to express it here, then again I think Mason and Shalimar should be a couple but that's another story (hehehee). Matrix crossover, yes I've toyed with the multi-dimensional concept familiar to most as the Matrix for years. I give credit to the producers and writers of Matrix for any reference and similarities in my stories (the cyber aspect, I believe) to their movie- I don't own them or Mutant X but sure wish I did. *********  
  
MICHELLE"S HOME  
  
The Eckhart's daughter stared hostilely at Eckhart. "Look at me, old, man," she demanded.  
  
Eckhart broke his link with the Unity. He knew it was Ashlocke dominating his daughter that was speaking. He sighed impatiently and looked at Michelle.  
  
"You have been nothing to me but a thorn in my side. I should have killed you long ago." She said.  
  
"YOUR mistake, Mr. Ashlocke," Eckhart replied with a slight sneer in his voice. Michelle rose suddenly and started to backhand Eckhart across the face. She stopped unexpectedly in mid-motion and stood there with a confused expression. Eckhart raised an eyebrow and looked questioningly at his daughter. Michelle ran a hand through her short blond hair and looked at her hands. She stared icily at Eckhart.  
  
"Michelle won't allow me to physically harm you." Ashlocke/Michelle said. "Because of her 'limited' telepathic abilities, I cannot access you like Emma can, but I am drawing Emma here where together we will break you open like cracking a nut." Michelle paused and clenched her fists, then her eyes took on a pleading expression. "Emma's wearing a subdermal governor, Father. Ashlocke is planning on making me inactivate the governor when she arrives. I'm sorry," she said in a voice choking with emotion.  
  
Eckhart nodded and touched her hand. Michelle suddenly pulled away. "The glove, father. I will keep him under control, but you must use the glove and you must leave."  
  
A flash of realization showed in his expression and the white-haired man hobbled over to the utility drawer. How long must he keep up this fascade with his daughter, he wondered. He quickly found the stasis glove and put it on. Michelle turned and faced him. "Do it quickly, father." He extended his hands toward her shoulders and grasped them. Michelle gazed fearlessly into his eyes. The glove sparked as the stasis field within it activated upon contact with her shoulder. Michelle collapsed in his arms. Eckhart held her for a moment then gently laid her on the couch. Her face was so deathlike, that he checked her pulse. After a few seconds, he felt a heartbeat. "Ah, the miracles of stasis," he thought. As a second thought, he laid a blanket over her. Eckhart's expression became thoughtful as he picked up the keys to Michelle's car and quickly strode out of the house. He needed to get to the hospital before Ms. DeLauro did.  
  
Eckhart felt the sudden change. Ashlocke had sensed the change in plans through his link to Emma, and was directing Emma to the hospital instead of to the house. Resolutely, Eckhart kept the pair diverted from accessing the rest of his mind.  
  
MUTANT X  
  
As the Double Helix landed on the helicopter pad near the hospital entrance, the dark-haired woman appeared on the monitor. The expression in her green eyes were at the same time concerned and ruthless.  
  
"Take Adam through emergency admissions. We have taken care of everything. You will be told what to do." She paused, "hurry, Adam is regaining consciousness." The monitor returned to its normal readings. Jesse shook his head, baffled. That transmission isn't coming from anywhere I can track it.  
  
Brennan hoisted Adam's limp form over a shoulder. He cocked his head at Shalimar and Jesse. "You heard the lady, let's get going," he said with resigned cynicism.  
  
Inside the hospital, the admissions official nodded. "Oh, yes. We were informed to expect Mr. Kane's arrival. He's the emergency subject for the Virtual procedure. Please step this way." Shalimar, Jesse and Brennan exchanged puzzled glances and followed the blue-gowned orderly who wheeled Adam into the prep room. After scrubbing up and donning clean blue hospital gowns, Shalimar, Brennan and Jesse were admitted to a darkened room illuminated with blue light. Through a window, they could see Adam lying on a Med-chair engulfed in a small, man-sized force field that severely restricted his movements. He was awake now, studying his surroundings by moving his eyes. The force-field would not permit any visible body movement. Adam appeared to be in a chamber of some sort, an array of light of various spectrums passed over him at intervals.  
  
"Is he all right?" Shalimar asked no one in particular.  
  
"Shal, is that you?" Adam called out.  
  
"Adam!" Shalimar cried. "Are you ok?"  
  
"I think so. I feel," he paused, "much more in control now. Where am I?"  
  
"We took you to the hospital," Brennan replied.  
  
"WHAT!" Adam exclaimed. The force field sparkled where Adam's body had moved in reaction to his surprise and he slumped, suddenly tired. A female voice, cautioned them,  
  
"You must exercise care not to excite the patient."  
  
"Adam," Jesse called, "after the fiasco in Sanctuary, we were instructed by a "Power that be" to bring you here," Jesse answered. The entity calls herself Sanctuary and apparently controls Sanctuary and the Helix. We had no choice but to comply, or lose you."  
  
"The procedure is beginning. During the procedure, all communications will be terminated." The voice continued. Shalimar, Brennan, and Jesse stared at Adam through the window. The light activity within the chamber was intense, especially around Adam's head. Adam had closed his eyes and appeared to be resting comfortably. The wall monitor displayed his vital signs. They registered normal. Shalimar activated her feral vision for a moment but was unable to see any activity inside the chamber. She switched back to human vision and watched the light show around Adam.  
  
Adam considered what his team told him. He remembered the dark-haired woman in the Dojo. It must be she that they were referring to. Eckhart was also part of this somehow, he remembered the white-haired man trying to contact him when he lost control. He felt calm, here and now. A woman wearing surgical garb approached him. Her black hair was tied back and netted, as her experienced hands palpated the lump on his neck, her alert green eyes studied him.  
  
"Who are you?" Adam asked.  
  
"Dr. Aarariah." She answered quietly, watching him for any sign of recognition. Adam gazed deeply into her eyes, trying to place the name. Somehow it seemed familiar, but he just could not remember why or how. Puzzled, Adam asked, "Harvard? Genomex?" He felt so comfortable here. He didn't realize that he was no longer speaking with his mouth.  
  
"All of this technology within this chamber is yours," the ebony-haired woman told him, as she continued to work at the growth under his ear. Adam's eyes darted to and fro to see what she was referring to. "The force- field that is sealed over your body is the one you use in the Dojo. It has been keyed to your and Ashlocke's DNA so that your new powers are effectively neutralized. The lights, the energy beams are your inventions as well. I am using them to keep your body sedated while separating the foreign DNA."  
  
"Sort of like the way I separated the regeneration sequence from Marlowe?" Adam asked.  
  
"Exactly." Aarariah replied. "The only technology that you haven't completely engineered is the one that allows you to see me, but even that was initiated by you. We perfected the process."  
  
"This looks like an upgrade of a Virtual Reality Chamber," Adam commented. The woman nodded. "My original intent with that technology was to help link the human mind with the computer mind." Adam smiled, remembering. "It's too bad that I had been unable to pursue that avenue the way I wanted to." Adam looked at Aarariah with a question in his eyes.  
  
"Jesse mentioned something about you calling yourself Sanctuary. I recall seeing you in the Dojo. Who are you and why are you helping us?" Adam asked.  
  
"Does Sequence Genetics ring a bell?" she asked intensely.  
  
Adam smiled almost shyly at the attention. "No, I'm sorry, never heard of it." He was slightly alarmed to see a tear form in her eyes.  
  
"I loved you there. It exists in our realm, not in yours, " she said quietly. "I'm sorry, Adam. Tell the others that I'm just a computer glitch that you had randomly programmed into Sanctuary." She stroked his face and lowered an energy center. Adam's eyes closed and he drifted into a dreamless sleep while the doctor from the cyber realm finished operating on him within the hospital's special virtual reality chamber. She separated the mass of tissue that Ashlocke had implanted into Adam's body and the chamber's tools dissolved the foreign DNA strands that crept through Adam's nervous system into his brain. The damage inflicted by Ashlocke was reversed. While Ashlocke could still control Adam if he chose, there was no longer any chance of his accessing his super powers through Adam. Now all that remained was to remove Ashlocke's psyche from Adam's realm.  
  
IN THE HOSPITAL  
  
As Eckhart traveled to the hospital, he suddenly realized what the Unity's plan was.  
  
"NOOO!" Mason Eckhart literally shouted into the Net. There had to be another way. He thought frantically. Adam. He needed Adam's help and needed it now. Why was Adam never there when he needed him?  
  
Mason Eckhart walked quickly toward the stasis ward. The sense of urgency was frightening. He glowered. The sense of impending doom was tangible. Like a homing pigeon, he entered the large room filled with stasis tables and headed for the woman who was lying in among the fifty or so others.  
  
"There you are," he whispered to the sleeping woman "at last." Unmindful of the stasis field, he gently touched her face.  
  
"Turn it off, there is no longer any need," he heard Natalia's voice speak, although she seemed asleep. The field automatically shut down for her table. A thin, ancient looking woman opened her eyes and looked up at Eckhart's face. "At last," she murmured. "Are you surprised?"  
  
"You are just as I had imagined," Eckhart told her.  
  
"You lie beautifully, Mason Eckhart," Dr. Natalia Jensen told him.  
  
"Things are not always as they appear to be," Eckhart repeated to her softly, touching her fragile face again.  
  
"I am the one who re-engineered your daughter when she was a child." The ancient woman told him.  
  
"I remember you. I promised to make your employment at Genomex very unpleasant and you saved her life in return," Eckhart replied, eyes locked on hers, following her every movement. "You didn't stay very long," he added, tracing her lips with his finger.  
  
The grey eyes studied him. "I counteracted the monster that Adam Kane had created."  
  
"I know. In your sudden absence, I continued to follow her progress. Jennifer Collins," Eckhart suddenly smiled. "It is ironic that you chose my daughter as your subject."  
  
Natalia continued. "I had incorporated a little bit of myself into your daughter" she smiled weakly, "so, in a way, I've considered her as my daughter as well. I used my Psionic influence as she developed. The child has an amazing obsession with you, Mason. Do you think it may have rubbed off?" Dr. Jensen's eyes smiled at Mason. "Ironic how this all worked out, Mason. Do you remember the first time we met at Genomex?"  
  
Eckhart looked reflectively into her eyes. Yes, he did remember the arrogant, young doctor who treated him as a busboy on his first day on the job. "You can't stop me," she had flippantly told him when he cautioned her about breaking protocol. He remembered how he raged and swore to get even. He'd make her life a living hell.  
  
"Dr. Jensen? I'm sure that we will be speaking again." Eckhart had told her stiffly. It turned out that Dr. Jensen reported to higher authority in a top secret division. He never did see her again and by the time he had assimilated her division, after the 'X' incident, all traces of her was gone. Adam had no recollection of her, and only Eckhart still had a couple files in his possession.  
  
"You have aged, Natalia." Eckhart said, gently stroking the ancient face. "We are approximately the same age."  
  
Natalia smiled. "Are you sure about that, my love?" Eckhart looked down. It didn't matter to him what she looked like now. The bond between them was deep and strong. "I would do anything for you, Mason." She said softly. "Even give my life in exchange for yours."  
  
Eckhart's eyes widened. Somehow he had always known and accepted that, but this sounded suspiciously like a goodbye. "You can't die," he interrupted.  
  
"You can't stop me." She replied softly. "Look, I have a job to finish and we may need your help. Ah, there they are."  
  
Adam, Shalimar, Brennan and Jesse filed silently into the triage. Adam's eyes were dark, filled with a haunted expression. How close he had come to assimilating almost god-like powers and he had almost destroyed his friends. An unknown entity had come out of the ether to restore him and to muzzle Gabriel Ashlocke. Why was he not surprised that Eckhart had somehow come out of the woodworks and was here as well?  
  
"Emma," Shalimar greeted her teammate. Emma had entered from the other door, her expression drawn and intent. As Emma approached, Natalia grasped Eckhart's hand tightly and gazed into his eyes. A pained expression crossed his face like a shadow and then he straightened resolutely. Everything was perfectly clear now.  
  
"Of course," he realized. "She was the perfect telepath. Why should I protect Adam? Can't he protect himself with his genius mind and his Mutants?" Eckhart protested silently, knowing her mind was set.  
  
"I'm not sure that he can, Mason. The Net and the Unity depends on each of us doing our part. We can't afford the possibility, small as it is, that Ashlocke will still jump to Adam when he leaves Emma. "  
  
"I want to protect you, not the man who destroyed my life." Eckhart retorted. Natalia silenced him with a stare. "Don't make it harder for me than it already is. When I unleash the beast everything will happen quickly."  
  
"Mr. Ashlocke, I presume." Natalia commented, sitting up in her bed, intravenous lines still attached. Emma stared at her in distain.  
  
"Old woman and old man," she taunted them. Natalia lifted an eyebrow skeptically. Leaning forward, she entered Emma's mind and found Ashlocke. Grabbing Ashlocke by the neck, she began to squeeze.  
  
"You are nothing," she told him.  
  
"No fair," Ashlocke gasped. I'm fettered with the subdermal governor."  
  
"Life isn't fair," she mocked him. "I have more powers than you, Gabriel Ashlocke. Adam Kane may have created you, but I will destroy you."  
  
"No, Ashlocke replied arrogantly between gasps. I will possess you just as I possess your creation, Michelle Eckhart."  
  
Emma staggered and fell to her knees at the pain that kicked in as the subdermal governor burned her nerve endings. Adam reached for her.  
  
"No Adam," Eckhart reminded him, "She houses Mr. Ashlocke's psyche. You must not interfere as she is purged."  
  
"What does he know?" Jesse retorted, starting to push Eckhart away as he attempted to reach Emma. He paused when he saw the eyes in the aged face turn silver.  
  
"Fine," Natalia snapped at Ashlocke. Her eyes turned silver as she created a cyber-space there in Emma's mind. Natalia motioned with her head and suddenly the device implant was deactivated. Emma slumped in relief. Ashlocke, realizing he was free, suddenly became much stronger and larger. He leaped into Natalia's mind and engulfed her. The cyber-space compacted upon itself and withdrew back into Natalia's mind. Emma fell back, Jesse caught her.  
  
Natalia grinned at the group. Her countenance morphed from that of an ancient woman to a much younger one, one that Mason Eckhart remembered well. "New followers of Gabriel Ashlocke, I've linked with an even more powerful Psionic than Emma. One with other powers similar to my own. A body in which I can express myself appropriately ." The woman suddenly transformed into an exact likeness of Gabriel Ashlocke. He stretched luxuriously and stared at each of his adversaries with murder in his eyes. Eckhart glared back. It wasn't supposed to end like this. He started to form a link with the Net in order to access his powers.  
  
"No, Mason. You may not do that." Marlina stood before him. She was dressed in military garb and armed. He retreated back to the hospital scene.  
  
Ashlocke stared at him and began to create an energy field in his hands. Suddenly his image became blurry as Natalia regained her form. There was a sense of being in a whirlwind as Natalia bound herself up with Ashlocke's psyche and pulled up all of the links that Ashlocke had formed over his existence. Shalimar and Emma suddenly blinked as an invisible grip suddenly dissolved. Members of the Strand suddenly felt lighter, as if a shackle had been removed from their souls. As Kimmy played with her baby and suddenly felt an incredible sense of loss, as if Gabriel's death had replayed again.  
  
Natalia, hating herself, had simply overwhelmed Ashlocke with the illusion of having the things that he desired the most. With her superior telepathic abilities, she painstakingly followed each link to its source and broke it. She sensed that he was becoming suspicious but he was too late.  
  
"Mason," she said softly. He came to her and held her hand. Her eyes softened momentarily as she gazed into his eyes. Without another word, the IV line suddenly dispensed a massive overdose of the medication into her veins. With a shuddering sigh, she fell back, lifeless on the bed. An alarm went off with a stark buzz.  
  
Mason Eckhart continued to hold Natalia's hand as the warmth left it. Her lifeless form looked young again. Silent tears burned his cheeks. He closed his eyes and searched for her, for any indication of her presence. His universe was empty again.  
  
Somewhere in the Net, the remaining Unity, Aari and Marlina looked solemnly at each other. Their third member was gone. "Mission accomplished," Marlina whispered, looking out into the ether of the Cyber universe. 


	12. Fallout

Chapter 12  Fallout 

A/N- almost finished. Another twist and turn before I lay this one to rest, though. Reviews are welcome anytime, both favorable and otherwise – I know I tend to go against the flow.  Maya, thanks again for the review.  I did enjoy exploring the MutantX concept from  the opponent's point of view.  ************************************

"I could have saved her," Eckhart whispered still stunned that he had been turned out of the Net, unable to believe that she was gone, "but they wouldn't let me."

"What are you talking about, Mason?" Adam asked.

Eckhart fought to keep from screaming at him, "The Unity, oh, you wouldn't know would you?  …The beings on the other side.  …The universe that YOU had built a bridge to 20 years ago."  Instead, he simply glared at Adam who stared pensively at him.  It was this kind of information that kept him a step ahead of Adam.

Adam looked at the now young face of Dr. Jensen.  "Who was she?"

Eckhart studied Adam's expression to see if he was serious and decided that he was.  "An old friend that I had been trying to locate for years," he replied after a moment.

"Remarkable woman," Adam commented thoughtfully.  "although I get the distinct impression that it hasn't been years since you last seen each other."

"It is exactly as I said, Adam." Eckhart replied.  

"She somehow assimilated Ashlocke's soul that had been bound to Emma.  She is a meta-morph, like Michelle, you saw how she transformed from an aged woman to the younger one that we see now, and then into Ashlocke's form.  This is apparently her natural form."  Adam's expression hardened.  "And the IV drip just happened to overload her system with a neural inhibitor shortly after Ashlocke took over her body."  Adam stared at Eckhart accusingly.  "You were standing closest to her, Mason."

"What are you trying to say, Adam?" Eckhart asked calmly, his eyes glinted dangerously at the implied accusation.  "And how do you happen to know the IV drip was loaded with a neural inhibitor?"  The white-haired man asked menacingly.

Adam straightened, his dark eyes momentarily unfocused. It was as if a door had been opened in his mind for a brief second but now closed.  The moment was gone now.  " It's just an educated guess, Mason.  I don't know for a fact what's in the IV. "  He shook his head and looked away. The white-haired man watched him intently, like a cat studying a mouse and Adam's team-mates shifted uncomfortably.  Adam signaled for them to leave him alone with Eckhart. He would question them later about the dark-haired, green-eyed beauty.  He was sure that she was a computer anomaly, and that together, they would figure out how she was generated, retrieve and analyze the transmissions later.   "I'll be fine," he assured them.  They obeyed, casting backward glances as they left.  Emma waited a moment and touched his arm gently before she joined the others.

Adam remembered something.  "What do you know of Sparky?"  he asked Eckhart.

"So THEY don't know about Sparky?"  Mason Eckhart asked nodding toward the departing Mutant X.  "Strange that you should keep secrets from your own people, Adam.  Don't you trust them?"  Adam cringed internally.  So Eckhart did know something about Sanctuary's secret security code!  One of the emergency medical team pumped them for information about the circumstances concerning Natalia's death.  Eckhart sternly reprimanded the staff for shoddy care.  "I want her blood tested," he said,  "and the name of her attending physician-all in charge of her care.  If the cause of her death was natural, so be it, but if it was accidental, so help you…."

"You mentioned that name in your last communication to me from the old Genomex pseuver and less recently in your rantings while you were hospitalized." Adam replied. 

Eckhart gave him a guarded look.  "You're the genius, Adam.  You figure it out."

Adam studied his adversary coldly, regretting the fact that he had ever brought him out of the stasis pod, hating himself for needing him.  

"Knowing you, Mason, you probably arranged this woman's death."  Adam goaded him.  Eckhart ignored him.  A couple orderlies prepared to move Dr. Jensen's body out of the room.  Eckhart raised a hand and they paused.  He pulled the sheet off the woman's face and looked down at her.  Her expression was relaxed, her eyes slightly open.  Eckhart cupped the cold face in his hands, willing her to wake up.  His eyes were dry and expressionless for Adam's benefit.  Outwardly, he was a model of self control but inwardly, he raged at the powers that be for taking her away from him….. 

"Marlina, Aararaiah" Eckhart breathed silently and fervently into the ether, "I will hunt you down and find you.  And when I do, you will wish you had never existed."


	13. Final Judgement

**Final Judgment **

_A/N: The end at last!  And they said it couldn't be done.  Now maybe I can get some real work done.  ; ) and maybe a non-Eckhart fan-fic?  Stay tuned.  I have a couple in the works._

_Once again, my thanks to Mutant X and Matrix writers and producers for their excellent work, and (sob) I don't own any of it!   And my thanks to all you who read this stuff and let me mess with your minds.  Have I converted anyone to Eckhartism?    LOL    Man! I almost fell over when he showed up in the S2-ender with short dark hair.  It IS amazing what a new hairstyle can do.  LOL._

_This is Ruffyan's version of how Eckhart got the scoop on MX while he was locked away in a pod and how he came to report "the things that no one could know of Adam and his team" to the Tribunal.   Here endeth my Trilogy- In His Image- Dynasty- and Powers that Be.    As always, your reviews are welcome anytime.  Think of them as inspiration for a poor starving author…well, not really starving.   ; )_

****************************

SOMEWHERE IN OUR UNIVERSE….

A distinguished man and a short but regal woman stood over the stasis pod, looking in at the white-haired inhabitant.  They spoke in hushed tones.

"Of course he'll be adequate," the small, middle aged woman replied with a barracuda smile, "but you will have to convince your colleagues.  Mr. Eckhart and I share the same dislike for Dr. Kane.  We will provide your man with the information you need.  He must successfully present it to your Tribunal.  They will accomplish the rest."

The Justice looked sharply at Nicole Carter.  "Mr. Warren will handle the case.  How will you guarantee the accuracy of the information?"

Nicole smiled evilly.  "Mason will provide the dates and times.  This technology that Adam had so graciously invented is called Neural Imaging.  It captures the thoughts and memories of a person and puts it on audio-visual media.  I have learned how to use it to demonstrate the Truth to our advantage and will demonstrate its use to the Tribunal." She smiled again.  "Don't you think a donation of such a device to the Tribunal will facilitate its quest for Truth?  Adam's invention will rip the events from his own mind for all to see what 'really' happened.  I expect that you will look favorably upon our case and I expect Mr. Warren's most stellar performance.  Who will Mr. Warren be presenting against?"

"Oh, one of our stable-  Ms Janet Nichols," the Justice replied.  "She should pose no threat as she is not very pleased to be placed as Adam's defense attorney."

"Very well."  Nicole Carter said.  "I will have Mr. Eckhart contact Mr. Warren with the information he needs after we, eh, awaken him."  

The businessman inclined his head toward the stasis pod.  "Have him meet Mr. Warren at the usual place Tuesday at 0800 hours."  He left.

 Nicole looked up at the approaching physician. "Ah, Dr. Jensen," she acknowledged the tall, woman with dark, gold-streaked hair.  The doctor looked inquisitively at her employer then leaned casually against the pod.

"Is he ready?"  Nicole asked.

"Yes, Ms. Carter," the doctor replied as she peered into the pod and wrote a couple short notes on her clipboard.  "The compensations for the immune degradation have been made.  The implant is secure.  It is safe to release the subject from the stasis pod."

"Once he is awakened, I want him tested to make sure he has access."

"Of course," the scientist replied.

Nicole Carter examined the contents of the stasis pod one last time then brusquely turned away.  "Very well," she replied.  "Proceed with the re-awakening."

Dr. Jensen's hands moved rapidly over the panel, her impassive grey eyes taking every indicator into consideration at lightning speed.  Unbeknownst to her employer, Dr. Jensen, a cyber-telepath, had done far more than implant her invention, the cyber module, into the subject's nervous system.  

Early on, she had modified Mason Eckhart's DNA structure slightly to restore his failed immune system.  After implanting the Cyber Module, she established a cyber-telepathic link between them so that she could monitor this complex man closely and ensure that the cyber implant took.  She hadn't realized that complications could set in as a result of this bonding.  The doctor absently wondered if he would recognize her.  She shrugged inwardly.  

Almost 20 years ago, Nicole Carter had lured the young bio-engineer from Genomex.  The promise of unlimited resources and complete autonomy at Nexxogen had drawn her away from Genomex just as the same offer had drawn Adam Kane to Genomex.  Only, she thought, it should have been her, not Adam that was offered Genomex.  From the sheltered anonymity of Nexxogen, she watched Adam's triumphs and his mistakes.  The man led a charmed life, she thought.  That would change someday.  She would see to that.

Then there was Mason Eckhart.  Intrigued, she observed the dynamics between him and her boss, Ms. Carter as he sought and acquired power.  Ruthless people, she thought, living for the pursuit of power that they did not hold.  Jensen smiled amused at the turn-table tactics she observed; first Eckhart ousted Carter from Nexxogen.  Carter regrouped quickly and now it was she who was controlling Eckhart.  

And then there was the Adam-Eckhart relationship.  They were of a kind, these two.  When they initially met at Genomex, they hit it off like long lost brothers.  Both hopeless idealists, Adam was going to find the ultimate knowledge to save the world from disease and Eckhart, unswervingly patriotic to the government cause would find the ultimate weapon to promote world peace.  Both had hidden agendas.  As they set foot together on the road of their individual destinies, who would have known that Mason would break under the mental stress of Incident X and turn on his friend?  Had they really been friends, or were they simply pawns in a multi-dimensional chess-game, moving to and fro at the beck and call of the powers that be?  

Dr. Jensen's attention returned to the task at hand.  The transparent cover of the stasis pod slid open, revealing Mason Eckhart.  She pressed another button, shutting down the stasis beam.  The women watched as Mason Eckhart drew in a large breath of air.  He had been dreaming.  With a choked cry of rage, the white-haired man awakened, springing to a sitting up position.  

Nicole nodded at Dr. Jensen.  She pressed a button on a hand-held device.  Immediately, Eckhart stiffened, confused at the flood of images that flew through his mind.  Lines of light and darkness flew by at incredible speed in his mind.  "The Net!" he thought, "It was still there."  

'Natalia?" he called out hopefully into the Net with his mind.  Dr. Jensen's expression was a mask of clinical detachment as Nicole glanced at her.  Inwardly, she shivered with anticipation and longing.  It was much different with him conscious now.  He was much stronger than she had anticipated.

He paused, listening, all senses attuned to her.  He had watched her die with his own eyes, yet he could feel her presence so closely that he could almost touch her.  He thought he could hear her well-modulated voice.

"You must access Sanctuary's computer, Adam's personal log.  He will have made personal entries, retrieve three entries that occurred within the past 3 months."

Eckhart stared hard around him.  The matrix of light and dark was all around him and within him.  He understood the patterns.  He effortlessly accessed Sanctuary, as he did before to communicate with Adam and looked in at Adam's entries.  The boy had been busy, Mason thought.  The trip took only a moment in human terms. 

He opened his eyes and blinked at a pair of ice blue eyes staring at him as if he was an exhibit in a zoo.  He started involuntarily, grasping the sides of the stasis pod.  Recovering quickly he said dryly, 

'Miss Carter, I presume," meeting her icy gaze with one of his own.  Nicole smiled, pleased at having startled him and nodded.  

"Adam's log.  Did you access it?" Nicole asked him.  Eckhart looked at her defiantly and said nothing.  Carter nodded at Dr. Jensen behind him, who then turned to the control panel.  Eckhart was still wired to the monitoring system; the doctor activated the Neural Imager.  

"Tell us what you accessed in Adam Kane's log, Mr. Eckhart," Nicole commanded.  Blue light played about Eckhart's head and he froze.  His eyes glittered with rage and he fought as he felt his mind being accessed against his will.  The monitor displayed the three events that Mason had accessed in that short moment, events that had been verbally inputted by Adam into an encrypted file.  The computer converted them into visual form through the mental imaging media of Eckhart's mind.  Dr. Jensen downloaded the images so that Ms. Carter could review them and prepare the evidence against Adam Kane.

Nicole Carter smiled again, satisfied.  "Release him," she snapped.  Dr. Jensen nodded deferentially and complied.  Eckhart sat motionless with a blank, drained expression.

"Do you remember anything else, Mr. Eckhart?"  Nicole Carter asked.

Eckhart sighed.  "Dreams.  Just dreams," he grumbled, looking about his new surroundings.  Nicole had a triumphant expression on her face.

"Dr. Jensen has implanted you with a cyber module that she invented.  It will give you access to most mainframes." She told him, enjoying the look of discomfort on his face.  "Our little test showed that you are able to access Adam's system with little effort.  You will access Adam's system again and provide me with details of Mutant X's missions: I want dates, times and details."  Nicole held the small black device and pressed the button.  Once again, Eckhart froze where he still sat in the pod, his dark eyes glittered with a silvery light.  Lines of light and darkness whirled around and through him.  He resented being launched into the Net without warning against his will and determined that he would correct that situation as soon as possible when he got back—if he decided to come back.  He wondered if he would find Aari and Marlina somewhere out here?  He smiled to himself.  He would play along until the appropriate time came along.  Ah yes, Adam's log….  He resurfaced in Ms. Carter's facility a couple moments later.  

"I want to view them on the Neural Imager," she told the scientist.

Eckhart sensed hesitation from Ms. Carter's associate.  "M'am, too much exposure to Dr. Kane's technology could burn out his neural pathways and adversely affect the implant.  A chill ran down his spine as he recognized her voice.  "He can easily download the files into this database himself."

Carter sounded disappointed.  "Very well, Dr. Jensen.  Make it so."

Eckhart heard the doctor speaking to him, but at the same time, she was in his head, guiding him out of the stasis pod, to Nicole's terminal, showing him how to move the files that he had taken from Sanctuary's computer into the target database by physical contact.  His eyes had changed from their normal hazel-brown to a silvery glow as he accomplished this task.  When he had finished the task, his eyes became brown again and he stood, shaken, supporting himself against the terminal.  Ms. Carter grasped his upper arm to steady him.

"Are you all right?  How do you feel?" she asked.

The white-haired man nodded silently. "Violated," he thought, "thanks to Adam's device." 

Carter straightened.  "You will meet with Mr. Warren tomorrow at 0800 hours with the information that I will select from that you have gathered for me."  

Eckhart stared at her sullenly.  Nicole Carter paced the room and turned suddenly to face him.  "Mr. Warren will present a case before the Tribunal, who in turn will judge Adam Kane to be guilty of engineering and developing Mutants for his own selfish purposes.  This Neural Imager, which you had the pleasure of trying out, will be the instrument used to take down Adam Kane.  Ironic that it is one of his own inventions."  She watched his sullen expression change to interest.  "You will not fail me, Mason."

Eckhart stared coolly back at the former executive that he had removed in a Genomex buyout.  "And why should I comply with your wishes?"

"Because I am funding your new operations," Carter replied.  "We have a common enemy in Adam Kane and a common vision.  You will be instrumental in bringing him down permanently.  We will improve Adam's aborted dream of perfecting the human race, prolonging life, eliminating sickness and disease."

Eckhart's eyes gleamed, imagining the possibilities.  Nicole smiled.  She knew she had made him an offer he couldn't refuse.  Eckhart allowed his gaze to drop to the floor and heaved a great sigh, and wondered, "Was this real?"

"Very well," he replied simply.  "Give me the details of the contract."  He studied Nicole Carter as she perused the monitor's readout of the information he just downloaded, smiling triumphantly to herself.  He stared searchingly at Dr. Jensen until she turned around and faced him.  At the eye contact, both Eckhart and Jensen gasped softly in recognition as their telepathic link activated again.  Recovering quickly, Dr. Jensen glanced down and began furiously typing data into the computer.  Eckhart refocused his attention on his benefactor, Nicole Carter.  He was under her thumb now, but that would change all in good time.  Ms. Carter detailed him on their agreement.  He was now genetically enhanced and could lead a fairly normal life.  He would head up a new covert operation designed to correct the already enhanced gene pool.  She would provide resources needed for research and for detaining New Mutants for study.  His first priority, however, would be to render Mutant X powerless and to bring them to justice.

Carter dismissed him with a nod of her head.  Eckhart would bring the information to Mr. Warren tomorrow.  She knew she had the right man for the job.  Dr. Jensen stood nearby to escort him to his new living quarters.  He glanced briefly at her and as they walked toward the door he paused, causing the doctor to collide gently into him.  In doing so, her hand brushed his arm lightly.  The touch tingled, all the way to the core of his being.  She looked quickly at him, her cheeks flushed, then looked away.

Eckhart stared searchingly at Dr. Jensen.  The woman walked past him without expression, her steel grey eyes full of mystery as she stepped past him out the door.  She paused several feet away, regarding him expectantly like a she-wolf waiting for him to join her.

Eckhart raised an eyebrow as he met her gaze with one of his own and waited.  It would be all right, he thought.  He always landed on his feet.  Better to rule in hell than to serve in heaven.  

 "Bring it on," he thought, as he quickened his pace to walk alongside the doctor. 

THE END 

A/N- For any one following the Trilogy, yes, he's REALLY awake this time.  Please review anytime- better late than never.  Thank you all who read and especially those who reviewed or emailed me.  I really needed and appreciated your support.  I love you all!  

          : )


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